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85
During the year 282 of the cases of diphtheria notified in Shoreditch were
specially enquired into; in 168 the sufferers were females and in 114 they were
males.

Of the children attacked under five years of age 60 were males and 70 females;
of those attacked who were aged between five and ten years 28 were males and 41
females; of persons aged between ten and twenty-five years 20 attacked were males
and 43 females; and of those attacked who were over twenty-five years 6 were males
and 14 females. These figures shew that under five years 53.8 per cent. of those
attacked were females; between five and ten years 59.4 per cent. were females;
between ten and twenty-five years 68.2 per cent. were females, and over twenty-five
years 70 per cent. of those attacked were women.
It is probable that the increasing frequency of the attacks amongst females as
compared with the males, which is observable as age increases after the tenth year,
is due to their having to look after the sick ones of the family, and thus being more
exposed to infection. The habit of kissing, which is more common amongst females
than males, is also no doubt an important factor in rendering them more liable to be
attacked.
Of the cases investigated, in 130 instances the patient was a school-going child. In
105 the patient had been attending school within one week of the onset of symptoms.
In a few instances the patient was apparently suffering from the disease before it was
recognised as diphtheria, whilst attending school. In 95 cases the patients were not
school-going children, but children, members of the same family or living under the
same roof, were attending school.
In 208 instances the house where the patient lived was occupied by members of
more than one family; in 18 instances the patients lived in artisans dwellings, and in
56 instances the whole house was occupied by the patient family.