CITY'S HEALTH

Evening Post, Issue 50, 27 August 1935, Page 11

CITY'S HEALTH

■ESTECTIOUS DISEASES

MORE CASES LAST YEAR

The annual report of the Chief City Health Inspector to the City Council shows that during the twelve months from April last year to March 31 there was a marked increase in the number of notifiable infectious diseases in the city, the total of such cases being 348, as compared with 241 for the preceding twelve months period, an increase of 44 per cent.

Tuberculosis again showed the highest incidence, with 130 cases, as against 97 cases last year, stated, the report. With continued increases in the notifications of this disease the work of the department was steadily being increased, particularly on account of the periocircal visitations of such cases resident in the city, the calls required to be made when cases were transferred to and from their homes and institutions for treatment and when changing residence.

Diphtheria showed a substantial increase from 66 to 120 cases, and scarlet fever increased by 17 cases, from 17 to 34. The greatest incidence of these diseases in the Brooklyn, Newtown, Northland, and central areas' all other districts being very slighllv affected. . " . .-.'"'

Two cases of Jtyphoid fever, were notified, but diagnosis was changed in the first case, leaving only one true case m the city, the source of infection being unknown. ' •

■Figures for the other listed notifiable diseases were low (those for the previous year being shown in parentheses) :—Erysipelas, 29 (26).; puerperal fever, 7 (6); pneumonic influenza, 2 (1); ophthalmia neonatorum, 4 (—)• cerebro-spinal meningitis, 1 (1); eclampsia, 1 (—); hydatids, 1 (—); poliomyelitis> -i. (1); undulant fever, — Q)lethargic encephalitis, — (1). During the year the inspectors of the Department made a total of 8004 inspections, of which by far the largest number, 6056, were of' food premises, the other duties including infectious disease inquiries, visits- to auction sales, collection of "milk samples, and visits of inspection to the/premises of secondhand dealers, hairdressers, flock manufacturers, etc. During the year prosecutions were made in fourteen cases and summonses issued in four other cases. EFFECT OF OVERCROWDING? j Councillor T. Brindle remarked aipon' the figures at the last meeting of the City Council, and suggested that the housing and exhibition committee I should inquire further into the matter J and the, probable reasons for the increase in the incidence of certain of the notifiable diseases.

The cases, had occurred mainly in overcrowded areas and in parts of the city where people were living in poorand unsuitable houses, in Newtown especially, said Councillor Brindle. The figures for tuberculosis, diphtheria, and scarlet fever were alarming, showing as they did increases of 34 per cent, 81 per cent., and 50 per cent, on the figures for the preceding year, and those diseases were peculiarly diseases associated with overcrowding and bad housing^ '"; / ~ -. "