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6
It will be seen by comparing the number of cases notified
in 1897 with those notified in 1896 that there is a distinct
difference in favour of 1897 as regards scarlet fever, typhoid
fever, and diphtheria, which were in the former year 140, 33,
and 45 respectively.
There was, as may be seen by the number of cases notified,
an epidemic of measles at the end of the year, which
necessitated the closing of two schools for a time, one on the
freehold at Barking Side, the other at Aldboro Hatch.
Only three deaths occurred from measles, which was a
small number considering the amount of cases reported, and
not reported; I have reason to believe there were a great
many of the latter.
There was also a small epidemic of scarlet fever at Dr.
Barnardo's Village Homes at the beginning of the year.
Of the cases of infectious diseases notified during the year,
twelve terminated fatally, six of the fatal cases being caused
by typhoid fever. Each case of typhoid was investigated,
and it was found that with the exception of seven the patients
went to London to business every day, and had, so far as I
could find out, nothing in common with each other, except
water supply, and even that was not the same in all cases;
some had eaten oysters.
Of the seven remaining patients, whose business did not
take them out of Ilford, six were relatives, and five of them,
in my opinion, got the disease from the other one—by nursing
him and washing for him—and he may have got it either by
being exposed to a very foul smell whilst unstopping a blocked
drain, which he said made him feel ill at the time; or from
the insanitary state of the cottage in which he lived; or by
eating oysters at Southend.