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list of absentees with their names and addresses, to
be given to the Medical Officer of Health every
day. The expense of such a clerk would in my
opinion be amply repaid by the decrease of
infectious disease. This would be almost complete
if private schools could be induced to give similar
facilities to the health officials.
Typhoid or Enteric Fever.
The only fatal case was that of a boy, occurring
in a house without water on account of the frost.
Two cases occurred in houses with well water.
The wells had both been recently affected by
pumping operations in the neighbourhood. The
water was examined ; in one case it was chemically
impure, in the other the results were negative.
The wells were both ordered to be closed.
One case was attributed to eating oysters, but
there were numerous sanitary defects in the house,
and it was not shewn that the oysters had caused
illness in other persons.
In 3 cases the disease arose in old houses, none
of them with any obvious sanitary deficiencies, but
with the general structure and arrangement very far
from the requirements of modern sanitation.
One case occurred in a medical student, who
may have been exposed to infection in various ways.
Phthisis.
Fifty-two deaths were registered from this
disease, or a rate of 1.7 per jooo. This compares
with 1.5 in 1893 and 1.2 in 1894.