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The deaths from scarlet fever in 1910 wore 3, as compared with 4
in the previous year. The number of cases and the number of deaths
per 1000 of the population were 1.41 and 0.03 respectively, and the casemortality,
or percentage of deaths to cases, was 2.2. The corresponding
figures in 1909 were 2.56, 0*04, and 16 respectively.
Of the cases notified, 99, or 73 per cent., were removed to hospital.
The corresponding percentage in 1909 was 87.
The total number of houses attacked was 114. Ten houses had 2
cases each, 2 houses had 3 cases, 4 cases occurred in one house, and
5 cases in another. In all these instances the subsequent cases took
the infection directly or indirectly from the primary case. Throughout
the year the type of scarlet fever in Hampstead was very mild, as is
shown by the low case-mortality. In many cases the disease gave rise
to little more discomfort than a common cold. Scailet fever at the
present time is far from being the fatal and dreaded disease it was over
30 years ago. It now exists in a mild form, but it must not be assumed
that it will remain indefinitely in this form. The comparatively trivial
character of the symptoms in many of the cases is a source of some
danger, for it makes it difficult to recognise the disease, and so leads to
"missed" cases. It is much to be regretted that bacteriology is not yet
sufficiently developed to afford the help in the diagnosis of scarlet
fever that is available in the case of diphtheria.