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deal; for instance, the figures for hooping cough were 73 in the
first quarter, 67 in the second, 31 in the third, and 9 in the
fourth; while for measles there were 146 in the first quarter,
34 in the second, 8in the third, and 4 in the fourth; 238 deaths
were credited to diarrhoea and other inflammatory diseases of
the intestines, as compared with 254 for 1895, and of these,
213 were of children under five years of age; 14 fatal cases
occurred in the first quarter, 24 in the second, 183 in the third,
and 17 in the fourth, and in respect to their locality, 1 took
place in Dulwich, 70 in Camberwell, 70 in Peckham, and 97 in
St. George's. One death of a male adult in St. George's, which
was notified to us as cholera, has been included in this class,
since upon inquiry I am satisfied that it was merely a case of
aggravated diarrhoea.
Scarlatina caused 52 deaths, against 47 in 1895. These
were distributed pretty equally throughout the year ; 9 of them
took place in Camberwell, 25 in Peckham, and 18 in St.
George's. Typhoid fever caused 34 deaths ; 20 in Camberwell,
5 in Peckham, and 9 in St. George's, these occurred chiefly
in the first and last quarters of the year. It is thus seen that
the figures in the zymotic class of diseases show an increase,
except influenza, which has diminished, and diarrhoea, which
remains about the same as last year.
The deaths referable to diphtheria I treat of specially.
The number of notifications received amounts to 3,295,
and of these, 94 were duplicate certificates, consequently the
number of persons attacked was 3,181. This total was made
up of the following:—Diphtheria 1,420, as contrasted with
925 in 1895 and 745 in 1894; scarlet fever 1,225, against 885
in 1895; enteric fever 181, against 245 in 1895 and 138 in
1894: small pox 13, as compared with 86 and 16 in the two
preceding years; and erysipelas 344, almost an identical
number with those notified in 1895 and 1894. There were 14
notifications of puerperal fever.
It is interesting to note that although the notifications of
scarlet fever were 340 in excess of those for 1895, there were
but few more deaths, the mortality rate being in 1895 5.3, while
in 1896 it was only 4.4. The diphtheria mortality rate showed
great decline, the case mortality being 9-5 per cent, for 1895
and 7.7 for 1896. I think this will in a great measure be found
vii.