View report page

(3)
III.—Summary of Sickness and Mortality from the Seven Principal Zymotic
Diseases, and from certain other Diseases which have to be notified
under the Infectious Diseases (Notification) Act, 1889, and of the
action taken tor preventing their spread.
1. Smallpox.—No cases of Smallpox have been notified in the district during
the year, though there have been a few cases in the immediate vicinity, and in one
instance where clothes had been returned home from a laundry outside the district
(from which an infected person had been taken to the Small Pox Hospital), it was
necessary to remove the clothes for disinfection.
Scarlet Fever.—Twenty-one cases of Scarlet Fever were notified as compared
with 36, 27 and 127 in the three previous years respectively, and two deaths were
attributed to the disease. Nineteen cases were removed to the Isolation Hospital for
treatment. Four of the cases came into the district after having contracted the
disease outside and in one house where four cases occurred, which unfortunately
resulted in the death of one patient, a young lady of 22 years, the origin of the
disease was evidently due to a previously unrecognised mild attack of a maid who had
recently come into the employ of the householder.
Diphtheria.—Seventeen cases were notified as compared with five and 16 for the
two previous years respectively; no deaths were attributed to this disease. Fifteen
cases were removed to the Isolation Hospital. Of the 17 cases three occurred during
the first half of the year and 14 in the latter; 13 were from the lower part of the
district, and of these eight previously attended the Benhilton Schools, but on enquiries
this I think proved to be merely a coincidence, as the cases were extremely disconnected
and, with the exception of a child who was probably infected by a playmate,
the situation of the schools in the district mostly affected seemed to be alone responsible
for the others. It is very probable that the flooding referred to in another
part of this report as occurring several times during the year in this part of the town,
may have been of some account as a factor in the cause of the Diptheria.
Enteric or Typhoid Fever.—Five cases of Enteric Fever were notified during
the year, as compared with seven the previous year, but no deaths were caused
thereby. In several of the cases sanitary defects were found to exist at the houses,
and one evidently came into the district having contracted the disease outside.
Whooping Cough.—Two deaths were attributed to Whooping Cough, one in
January and the other in November.
Measles.—No deaths were caused by Measles during the year, as compared with
six during the previous year, and very few cases have come to my knowledge.
Diarrhcea.— Six deaths were attributed to Diarrhcea, as compared with five in
the previous year, six in 1901, five in 1900, nine in 1899, 11 in 1898, and 28 in
1897. During the summer handbills were distributed by the order of the Sanitary
Committee at my request, calling attention to the causes of Summer Diarrhoea, and
the means to be taken by householders in endeavouring to prevent the disease.
Zymotic Death Rate.—The total number of deaths from the seven principal
epidemic diseases was 10, viz., six from Diarrhœa, two each from Scarlet Fever and
Whooping Cough. This is equal to a zymotic death rate of .6 per 1,000 of the
estimated population, as compared with 1.1 the previous year, and 1.2 the average
for the preceding 10 years. The rate for the whole of England and Wales during
the year was 1.46, and for 103 smaller towns 1.41.