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145
[1911
SCARLET FEVER.
There were 804 cases notified, which is an increase of 74 on the return
for 1910, but 370 below the corrected average of the ten years 1901-10, and
as many as 797 below that of the ten years 1891-00.
There has been of late years a decrease in the cases of Scarlet Fever in
Islington, although not as great as could be desired, for while during
the ten years 1891-00 16,014 cases were notified, and only 11,893 cases
reported in the ten years 1901-11, yet in the first five years of the latter
decennium, 5,867 cases occurred as against 6,026 in its second five years—an
increase of 159 cases. Although this is not a very large number, one would
prefer that it had been a decrease. It is satisfactory to note that during the
last two years, 1910-11, the cases were fewer than in any previous year since
this disease became compulsorily notifiable. The 804 cases represented an
attack-rate of 2.46 per 1,000 of the population, as compared with one of 2.90
in England and Wales, 2.84 in England, 3.66 in Wales, 2.32 in the County
of London, and 2.26 in the six encircling boroughs.
A study of the Chart on the opposite page shows that, in only three
weeks during the year did the number of cases exceed the average of the
preceding ten years. These exceptions occurred in the last three weeks of
the year. At all other times the weekly curve kept welf below the decennial
mean.