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Tracheotomy was performed on 3 patients, one of whom died from
cardiac failure.
Among the Diphtheria patients, only 1 case developed post-Diphtheritic
Paralysis, 1 had Nephritis, 5 Bronchitis 1 Whooping Cough,
3 Measles, 1 post-Diphtherial Scarlatina.
Among the Scarlet Fever patients, 1 had Nephritis, 29 Otitis, 2
Mastoid Abscess, 3 Cervical Abscess, 1 Chorea, 1 Broncho-Pneumonia,
6 Bronchitis, 3 Whooping Cough, 1 Chicken Pox, and 1 Ringworm.
During the year great difficulty was found in the isolation of cases of
mixed infection, and thus hampered, all the beds allotted to Scarlet
Fever were not always available.
"As there is with the present arrangement an inevitable delay in
hearing the result of bacteriological examinations, it is suggested that
it would be desirable to have facilities for such examinations provided
in the Hospital."
TYPHOID FEVER.
Eighty-eight cases of this disease were notified during the year,
compared with 89 in 1902, 73 in 1901, 86 in 1900, 119 in 1899, 76 in
1898, 78 in 1897, and 193 in 1896.
On page 23 are given the numbers of cases occurring in each month
during the year. It will be noticed that during the months January to
August inclusive, the number of cases was less than half in the corresponding
months in 1902, but in September the notifications rose to 16,
reaching the maximum, 32, in October, followed by a sudden fall to 7 in
November and 9 in December.
In my monthly report for September I pointed out that the analysis
of water supplied to the district during August was very unfavourably
reported on by Mr. Leo Taylor, and that Enteric was on the increase
and widespread.
In October I reported, "during the past two months throughout the
district there has been a good deal of diarrhceal sickness in adults, and
probably improperly filtered water may account for this. Any person
thus suffering would be much more likely to fall a victim to specific
infection than those not so affected."
In October, 1902, 5 deaths were attributed to Diarrhoeal diseases,
whereas this year 26 were attributed to the same cause. The unusual
rains causing an excess of organic matter in the drinking water and the
high level to which the ground water rose, and consequent displacement
of ground air must have contributed largely to these results.