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A larger outbreak of diphtheria occurred at the Foundling Hospital a year
before. This began with the first case which was removed on 17th August,
1912, and continued until 7th November, 1912, when the last case was
removed. 71 cases were removed to hospital daring this outbreak, 66 boys
and 5 girls. The cases were confined to the boys' and infants' sides of the
Institution, the girls' side escaping completely. It will be noticed that this
epidemic took place in the same time of the year as the 1913 outbreak.
There were, in addition, 4 cases of diphtheria removed from the Foundling
Hospital between 4th and 23rd January, 1913. These consisted of 3 boys and
1 girl.
No explanation has been found for the occurrence of these outbreaks of
diphtheria. It is probable from the fact that in the middle of the 1913
outbreak 6 children were readily found harbouring diphtheria bacilli, but not
otherwise showing themselves as cases of faucial diphtheria, and also from
observations that have been made in other outbreaks of this disease, that the
germs were a good deal more widely spread amongst the children than was
shown by the incidence of the clinical cases. It will be noticed that both
outbreaks occurred at the time of the year when most cases of diphtheria (and
of scarlet fever) are reported.
The drains of the Institution were examined and made sound at the time of
the 1912 epidemic.
Bactcriological Examinations.— 266 swabs from St. Pancras patients were
examined during the year by the Lister Institute of Preventitive Medicine for
the presence of diphtheria bacillus at the expense of the Borough.
Of these 97 gave positive results and 169 negative results.
TYPHOID FEVER.
41 notifications of typhoid fever were received during 1913. Of these one
case was notified twice, and 14 proved to be not suffering from typhoid fever.
The number of actual cases of typhoid fever reported during the year was
therefore 26, equal to an incidence rate of 0.12 per 1,000 population.
The number of deaths certified during 1913 was 6.