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35
In order that the prevalence of Diphtheria in Battersea may
he seen, I have here added a table of the notifications of this
disease yearly from 1890, the first complete year when notification
became obligatory. These numbers include Membranous
croup from which Diphtheria is undistinguishable clinically.
Year.
No. cases notified.
1890 349
1891 260
1892 366
1893 682
1894 504
1895 411
1896 426
1897 614
1898 791
As the sanitary districts have been altered in number and
area several times during these years, I am unable to locate the
disease for these years in districts.
The summer and autumn of 1898 were very hot and dry,
there being practically no rainfall for many weeks. During this
period an excessive incidence of diphtheria in No. 2 sanitary
district occurred. In my report I stated that diphtheria could be
spread in many ways, by direct personal infection at school or
elsewhere, by sewer gas, by water, milk or other food. There
were at this time, numerous complaints of offensive effluvia from
the sewers, by the gullies, surface ventilators, &c. The Schools
were closed for most of the period, and the milk supply was so
varied that it was clearly not the cause of the outbreak. A very
detailed examination of the sewers convinced me that to their
condition must the outbreak be in great measure ascribed. The
Surveyor reported fully on the subjects, showing numerous
defects in the sewers, gullies, ventilators, &c., and the Chief
Sanitary Inspector made a detailed report to the same effect.