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110
connection with the prevention of the passage of ground air
into houses. Cross ventilation beneath the floors is too often
absent, and improvement in the frequency and regularity of
removal of house refuse is urgently required.
The deaths from scarlet fever occurring in the Parish were
4, while 8 deaths occurred among the cases removed to hospital
for treatment. In the case of this disease, for the past few
years the type has been extremely mild and the deaths have
been few, though the numbers attacked have shown no
diminution.
The Registrar-General gives as the corrected death rate
from scarlet fever for Clerkenwell, .22 per 1,000; St.. Pancras,
.15; Islington, .17; and St. Lukes, .5.
In contrast with the small number of scarlet fever deaths,
measles contributes the comparatively large number of 50. A
glance at the table of deaths from zymotic diseases, will show
that during the past ten years, while scarlet fever has caused 68
deaths in the district, measles is responsible for no less a
number than 598. This enormous preponderance in mortality
of the non-notifiable disease measles, over the notifiable disease
scarlet fever, has led to much comment, and the Vestry has on
more than one occasion been asked to give an opinion as to the
advisability of adding measles to the list of diseases which have
to be notified. Influenced by the belief that notification would
be of little benefit without isolation, and that the difficulties in
the way of securing effective isolation cannot at the present
time be wisely faceld, they have without disagreeing either with
the gravity of present conditions, or the desire that they should
be improved, considered the present moment inopportune for
making the proposed change.
Diphtheria has caused during the year 14 deaths in the
district, and 25 deaths in institutions situated outside the Parish.
The Registrar-General gives as the corrected death rate from
diphtheria for Clerkenwell, .62 per 1,000; St. Pancras, .40;