View report page

9
All these persons had been vaccinated in youth except
one, who had been inoculated; consequently, they" all had
the disease very lightly. The two deaths occurred in
persons who suffered from other diseases, one man never
showing any spots, and it was only from his having been in
attendance on the other patient that Small Pox was given as
the cause of death, which I ascribe to Pneumonia, from
which disease he was also suffering.
Scarlet Fever.
277 cases have been notified during the year. The type
of the disease was very mild, there having been only 7 deaths,
or 2.7 for every 100 attacked. A great many of the cases
were introduced into the town, and a large proportion were
considered to be secondary cases, having been contracted
from play-fellows. During a warm summer such as was
experienced last year it is quite impossible, with such mild
cases as in the present epidemic, to ensure efficient isolation
in the poorer quarters. The children feel quite well and slip
out to play when their mothers' backs are tunned. It will be
noted that the proportion of secondary cases was much higher
during the warmer months. Could the first cases have been
removed to hospital the epidemic would never have assumed
the proportions it attained.
Diphtheria.
Great difference of opinion exists about the origin of this
disease, but the general consensus of opinion is that sore
throats arising from dampness, or bad drains, will by aggregation
of cases in schools, or other assemblies, develop into
Diphtheria. For this reason I should like to see Infectious
Sore Throat, and Membranous Croup, added to our list of
notifiable diseases. Infectious Sore Throat if notified may, by
precautionary measures, be prevented from forming the
nucleus of a Diphtheria out-break, and though the word
Diphtheria is sufficient to cause a scare, the term Infectious
Sore Throat would merely put persons on their guard, without
causing undue alarm, and had this been possible during the
past year, I think that, quite 75 per cent. of the non-fatal
cases of Diphtheria would have been notified as Infectious
Sore Throat.
The cases of Diphtheria notified are grouped together in
the accompanying tables, together with the cases of infectious