View report page

11
liemoval to hospital was carried out in 60.6 per cent. of the cases,
as compared with 55.2 per cent. in 1895. Out of the total 566 cases,
140, or 24.7 per cent., belonged to Kensal Town, which shows that the
disease was slightly more prevalent in Kensal Town than in the home
district, the population of Kensal Town, according to the 1896 census,
forming 22.2 per cent. of the population of the whole parish.
Diphtheria.—This disease was very prevalent in the home district of
Chelsea in 1896, the incidence rate being much higher even than in 1895,
which was the highest rate on record. It will be seen from Table VII.
that Chelsea's figure for 1896 is very largely in excess of any of the
other western parishes, and much higher than the figure characterising
the Metropolis as a whole. Excluding Kensal Town, and taking the
home district population only, the incidence rate of diphtheria per 10,000
of the home district population is 55.3, as against 39.9 in 1895. Out of
the total 467 cases, only 51, or 11 per cent., belonged to Kensal Town,
which is only about half of Kensal Town's share in proportion to its
population. In 1895, Kensal Town took only 9.6 per cent. of the total
cases. Removal to Hospital was effected in 55.7 per cent. of the cases,
as compared with 61.7 per cent. in 1895.
It will be remembered that the epidemic prevalence of diphtheria
in the home district commenced in the fourth quarter of 1895, 125 cases
of the disease being notified in the last three months of that year. The
disease commenced to decline in January, 1896, when 32 cases were
notified; and the decline continued until April, in which month only 12
cases occurred. In May, however, there was an increase to 24 cases;
followed by 27 eases in June, 55 in July, 59 in August, 70 in September,
39 in October, 41 in November, and 30 in December. The epidemic
prevalence commenced late in June or early in July, and the height of
the epidemic was reached in September. In June and July the central
portion of the parish was chiefly affected, namely, the Marlborough
Road, College Street, Leader Street, Arthur Street, and Flood Street
neighbourhoods; but later on the contagion became more widely
diffused throughout the parish. The closure of the schools in August
had but little effect in arresting the progress of the epidemic. In the
fortnight comprising the 34th and 35th weeks of the year 17 cases only
were notified, as compared with 31 and 32 cases in the two preceding
fortnights. The diminution, therefore, was late in coming, the schools
closing for the vacation in the 30th week of the year, and was confined
to a period of a fortnight, instead of the month that might have been
anticipated.
Amongst children of school age—3—13 years,—there was a
diminution of cases in the period comprising the 33rd to 36th weeks of
the year, namely 31 cases, as compared with 38 cases in the 4-weekly
period immediately preceding (29th to 32nd week) ; but this diminution
was very much less than the average of the preceding 6 years.
During February, March, and April, the cases at school age (3 to
13 years) formed 52 per cent. of the total cases. In May this percentage
was increased to 58, in June to 69, and in July, when the full force
of the epidemic began to be felt, to 76 per cent.