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There was no evidence of the disease being transmitted from one
case to another, except in those notified in November, five of the seven
notified in that month occurred in sequence in one house.
The case notified in March occurred in a house from which three
cases of diphtheria were notified three years ago, and the patient in
question was one of those then attacked. It is known that the germ
of diphtheria may cling to a dwelling even for this length of time ;
and an attack of the disease rather predisposes to than protects from
a second. A case notified in May was the third to occur in the same
house within the last 5 years.
In one case the infection appeared to have arisen in a very
round-about manner. The patient was the only child in the family,
he had been going to the Infant School for a year; and he never left
the house except for the purpose of going to School. He was
accompanied to and fro by a class-mate in whose family a case of
diphtheria occurred 3 months previously when the family were living
in another house than the one they now occupy. (All the members
of this family were examined and found to be free from evidence of
throat disease). If he was the means of conveying the infection it is
necessary to assume the germs of diphtheria conveyed from the first
to the second dwelling, either in the throat or by fomites : their
transference to the intermediary and thence to the patient. Such a
chain of circumstances seems improbable, but it is certainly not
impossible that the infection may have had its origin in this manner.
It was the only evidence obtainable for there had been no visitors to
the house which was in a perfect sanitary state and exceedingly clean.
The patient rarely drank milk and only after boiling. There had
been no cases of diphtheria in the immediate neighbourhood for
some time.
Small Pox.
The two cases of Small Pox, details of which were given in the
last Annual Report, were eventually certified by Dr. Davidson (the
Medical Officer of the Joint Hospital), as cases of Chicken Pox. It
will be remembered that Dr. Davidson saw the cases in consultation
before removal to the Hospital and notified them as cases of Small
Pox. During the time they were under observation in Hospital their
true nature became apparent.
On the 22nd January, Dr. Manby visited the District in his
official capacity as Medical Inspector of the Local Government
Board. The details of administration in Small Pox cases were fully
discussed at a Meeting held at the Council's Offices.
Dr. Manby approved of the steps taken in the above cases, and
he made certain recommendations as to the provision of a special
staff of re-vaccinated persons for the purposes of disinfection &c.,
which were adopted by the Council.
A case of Small Pox was notified on April 27th, at the Manager's
House, at the Council's Sewage Works. The patient was a domestic