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earlier part of the year, and much mumps. The deaths from
infantile diarrhoea were, as has already been mentioned, relatively
very few, and although this relative immunity was no doubt due in
part to improved sanitary conditions, of course the climatic
circumstances of the summer were extremely favourable.
Isolation and disinfection is carried out with greater care
and stringency than in former years, and the good effects of
these and other administrative improvements are beginning to be
seen. The first table in Appendix C affords some indication of this.
In the quinquennium 1896-1900 the cases of scarlet fever,
diphtheria, and enteric fever notified per 1,000 of the population
averaged 6.08 ; in the succeeding quinquennium 4.3; and in 1907 3T.
Taking the years 1896 to 1907, it will be seen that the three
worst years, 1898, 1899, and 1902, occurred before 1903, and the
three best years, 1904, 1905, and 1907, since that date. The
improvement that has occurred is chiefly with regard to scarlet
fever, but in respect of diphtheria some allowance may fairly be
made for (a) the notification, in order to be on the safe side, of
doubtful cases, and (b) the more accurate diagnosis of slight cases.
Still, there is far too much diphtheria and sore throat
generally in the district, and much work yet requires to be done.
During the past year a considerable amount of bacteriological
work has been done at the Hospital in the way of assisting
diagnosis, with, it is thought, very good results.
Hospital Accommodation, &c.
During 1907 seventy-four cases were treated in the Isolation
Hospital. Of these, one was a patient admitted on January 1st,
1907, who was notified in 1906, and one an adult patient who was
found on admission to be suffering from drug rash. In this
latter instance the formal notification had not been given, and
therefore the figures shown in Table III. Appendix A are correct,