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break simultaneously with one of Small Pox, practical difficulties
are apt to arise. The ordinary cases are, of course,
quite easy to differentiate, but, like all these classes of
disease, there are a great many instances where the decision
is one of difficulty, and where a deal depends on a right or
a wrong conclusion.
During the past year there have been several cases of
Small Pox in various parts of the country, and as the time
is drawing near when one may expect another outbreak of
this disease, it is very desirable to maintain a watchful eye
on all cases of Chicken Pox. This is extremely infectious
among young children, and therefore all children in the same
house attending an infant or junior mixed school are
excluded from attendance. Beyond the necessary isolation
and discomfort, there are few, or no bad symptoms accompanying
this disease, and it is practically never fatal.
MUMPS.
During 1909 there were 115 cases of this disease reported
from the schools, as against 29 in 1908. Some care has to
be exercised in accepting the return of Mumps if no medical
man has been in attendance, as a parent is very apt to call
any swollen condition of the glands about the neck by this
name; so that, in those cases where there is no medical
attendance, further enquiries are generally made to ascertain
the true condition of affairs. In contradistinction to most of
the other diseases of this class, Mumps was most prevalent
in June and July, which is very curious, though there were
cases in the schools in every month of the year, with the
exception of January.