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7
of London alone. The Act on the other hand provides for some
improvements in connection with vaccination, and the whole measure
undoubtedly partakes of the character of a "tremendous experiment,"
to use the expression of Lord Lister.
* Already Mr. Chaplin is able to claim that the number of children
vaccinated since the new law came into force shows a substantial, and,
in some cases, a very large increase. These favourable results are
attributed, in the main, to the introduction of a system of domiciliary
vaccination, by which the time of the mother is saved in taking the
child to the Vaccination Station first for vaccination, and secondly the
following week for inspection, and also to the introduction of a lymph
in which the public have confidence.
The country has fortunately now for some time been comparatively
free from small pox, but should an outbreak of this dread disease occur,
it may require the utmost vigilance on the part of the Sanitary
Authority, in the presence of so many unprotected people, to keep it
within bounds or to stamp it out.
Scarlet Fever.—Two hundred and thirty-eight cases of this disease
were registered, against 225 for the previous year, and of these 134
were removed to isolation hospitals. The fatal cases were three, or two
less than the previous year, the mortality from this cause falling to l.2
per cent. on cases registered.
Diphtheria.—The total number of cases of this disease notified
during the year was 131, against 189 for 1896, and 112 for 1895. The
deaths registered from this cause were 19, equal to a mortality of 14.5
per cent on registered cases. The cases removed from their homes to
isolation hospitals numbered 70. Diphtheria was the assigned cause of
1772 deaths in London during 1898. These deaths were, according to
the Registrar-General, equal to 0.39 per 1,000 living inhabitants, against
rates of 0.54, 0.60 and 0.51 in the three preceding years. The death
rate for Hampstead from diphtheria, per 1,000 living, was 0.24. The
part played by schools in spreading the infection of diphtheria is
now generally recognized, and there appears to be good reason for
* April 23rd, 1899.