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105
[1914

Fatality.—Twenty-three deaths were recorded out of the 1,853 known
cases of the disease, so that the fatality was only 1.2 per cent. of the
cases, which is 1.4 less than the mean of the preceding twenty years.
The difference is exactly the fatality that occurred in 1913, which shows that
the disease was of an eminently mild type. Indeed, since the notification of
Scarlet Fever became compulsory its fatality has only been so low on one
occasion, namely, in 1912, when it was 11. It looks as if the very mildness
of the disease was to a considerable extent the cause of the numerous cases,
for the children ailed so slightly that the disease practically passed unnoticed
in many instances until their skin began to desquamate, and therefore, mixed
freely with each other.
It was mentioned in the report for last year that the fatality has gradually
decreased. Thus,
From 1891 to 1900 it was 3.3
„ 1901 to 1910 „ 2.4
„ 1911 to 1914 „ 1.5
This is in marked contrast to its serious nature forty years ago, when an
attack from Scarlet Fever was much dreaded.
Hospital Isolation. —The number of cases of the disease removed to
Hospital was 1,768, which represent a percentage of 95 4. This is the highest
percentage of cases of this disease hitherto isolated.