View report page

25
Of course, however, at any time an undetected case of*
Scarlet Fever or Diphtheria at school may cause an outbreak.
The figures which I have given relate to "cases notified" and
this is not the same thing as "cases occurring."
Medical men not infrequently, and most properly, in the
interests of both the patient and the public, notify cases which in
the end are found not to be cases of the disease at first suspected.
But as a rule a Medical Officer of Health is not justified in publishing,
at a year's end, lists of " cases that have occurred " based on a
revision of the " cases notified."
Such "revisions" appear in practice to consist in the elimination
of every "case notified" the history of which does not, in
the opinion of the Hospital Superintendent or other person, bear
out the original notification. This proceeding, of course, results in
a table of "cases which occurred" particularly favourable to the
district concerned.
For it takes no account of the number of unascertained and
unascertainable cases which escape notification.
As a rule these undetected cases fairly balance those which
are notified in pardonable error, and therefore the publication of
lists of "cases notified" as such, is the best and fairest way to
determine in various districts the relative prevalence of cases of
notifiable disease.
The procedure with regard to disinfection has been so
recently stated in detail that no reference is now required.
It is encouraging to note, however, that the principle of
disinfection after death in cases of phthisis has been eagerly
accepted by the public and has been carried into effect into almost
every instance