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close them, and not to open them till after the Easter holidays. By that time
the epidemic bad nearly disappeared. Before the schools were reopened the
schoolrooms were thoroughly disinfected. Although some cases were of a
severe type, only 2 cases proved fatal, and those were weak children under
2 years of age.
Whooping Cough.—Only some isolated cases came under notice, and no
death was reported.
Diarrhoea.-—No death occurred, although the disease was very prevalent in
July and beginning of August.
II.—Notifiable.
Thirteen notifications were received —5 of scarlatina, 4 of diphtheria, and
4 of erysipelas. There was no case of small-pox, typhoid fever, membranous
croup, or puerperal fever.
Scarlatina.—The 5 cases occurred in the beginning of January, 3 belonged
to one family, where strict isolation could not be enforced, the house containing
only two rooms. The other 2 cases were strictly isolated. The premises were
in all cases disinfected, and no other case was notified during the year. There
has been no mortality, and the type of the disease has been a mild one.
Diphtheria.—Of the 4 cases 3 proved fatal. All were notified between
11th and 20th August. The first occurred in Upper Teddington Road, and
the child died on the fifth day. No cause of the outbreak could be traced.
Two cases were notified on 16th August, from the same house, in Old Bridge
Street, one child died on the fourth day and the other on the sixteenth. Those
two children never came into contact with the first case, the milk was supplied
from different sources, and no insanitary condition could be found in the house.
The fourth occurred on 20th August in the adjoining house in Old Bridge
Street, and the child became infected by having come into contact with the two
other children in the yard behind the houses. This child recovered rapidly
under early use of anti-diphtheritic serum, which was not adopted in the 3 fatal
cases. Ail the rooms occupied by the diphtheritic children were thoroughly
disinfected, and no farther spread of the infection took place.
Erysipelas.—Four cases were notified, 3 of which were complicated with
other diseases.
Inspections, Nuisances, Condition of Roads.
In the month of December I made a systematic inspection of the district
in company with the Inspector of Nuisances. Not many insanitary conditions
were discovered, and such as existed were abated either by verbal advice or by
notices. Much good is done by impressing upon the inhabitants the advantages
of cleanliness, and by getting them to understand that it is for their own benefit
as well as for that of the district that the Council insists upon their premises
being kept clean. Directions were constantly given to the occupiers of cottages
to clean out their cisterns periodically. Special inspection of certain localities
were made in connection with infectious diseases. May's Cottages were several
times inspected on account of defective water supply to closets, stopped drains,
and insanitary condition of the yard; the wash-house standing in the yard,
which was a dangerous structure, has been pulled down, but the wooden w.c.'s
are still standing, and the whole should be cleared away as being insanitary.
I reported last year about the dangerous and insanitary condition of the
Hampton Court Road. The defective water-main has now been repaired. The
double traffic which was carried on on the half width of the road has so ploughed
up the roadway that it has been impracticable for the appliances of the parish
to scavenge it, and the fact of the falling leaves decaying and mixing with the
mud, coupled with the wet and mild winter, has made this part of the district
very insanitary as well as dangerous. The water company have lately patched