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7
It was found necessary to engage the services of an
Assistant Nurse in December for a few weeks and this
fact also helped to increase the average cost per case.
Over 2000 visits were paid to these cases by the
Nurses.
DIPHTHERIA.
Eighteen cases of diphtheria were notified as compared
with 29 in 1912. Fourteen of these were removed
to hospital for treatment. One death occurred from the
disease. In nearly all the cases the diagnosis was verified
by bacteriological examination. A supply of
Anti-toxin is kept at the residence of the Medical Officer
of Health and is available for use in emergency cases by
Medical Men practising in the district upon application
to him. The Council also supplies facilities for the
examination of Sputum in cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis,
and blood for diagnosis in cases of suspected
Enteric Fever.
TUBERCULOSIS.
Twenty-two cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis were
notified and nine deaths were attributable to this disease.
Five of the cases certified had resided in the district
less than three months. Twelve of the cases notified
received Sanatorium treatment.
One case of Tuberculosis of Cervical Glands and one
of Tubercular Meningitis were certified.
In dealing with this scathing disease one is forcibly
convinced that it is pre-eminently one of those in which
prevention is better than cure, because undoubtedly
many of the reputed cures do not prove lasting. At the
best a complete cure can usually only be looked for if'
the case is taken in hand sufficiently early, and too often
the disease is quite firmly established before the sufferer
is aware of its existence. It is to be feared that only a
small percentage of those attacked by Pulmonary Tuberculosis
ever recover entirely, in spite of Sanatorium and
Tuberculin treatment. When the general public becomes
thoroughly alive to the infectivity of the disease by
personal contact, and will consent to its being treated
in a similar way to the other infectious diseases, which
it is allied to though much more chronic in its
manifestations, by isolation of those affected in proper
hospitals or institutions, then, and I believe not until
then, can we have any reasonable expectations of seeing