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13
And in Registration London:—
Small-pox 225
Scarlet Fever 25,647
Diphtheria 13,362
Membranous Croup 446
Enteric Fever 3,190
Typhus 6
Other continued Fevers 106
Puerpural Fever 277
Erysipelas 6,436
49,708
SMALL-POX.
During the year there was one case notified, a child eight months
old, who died after only eleven hours' illness.
An inquest was held, and the cause of death was returned as "a
convulsive fit, after some eruptive fever, probably small-pox." I afterwards
found that another child in the same house had died three weeks
previously of cerebro-spinal meningitis. I think, taking this into consideration
and the nature of the eruption, that the above was a case of
cerebro-spinal fever.
Printed cards, giving the hours and places of attendance of the
Public Vaccinators, were distributed, and the house was thoroughly
disinfected,
The statistics of all epidemics of small-pox show the enormous
value of efficient vaccination and re-vaccination ; notwithstanding this,
the proportion of children that are not vaccinated has been increasing
year by year since 1881, both in the Metropolis and the rest of England.
In 1881 the proportion of children unaccounted for in regard to vaccination)
including cases postponed) in the Metropolitan Unions was only
5.7 per cent. of the total births. In 1891 this proportion had risen to
16.4 per cent., and is still rising.
In the Holborn Union the corresponding rates were 6.2 and 12.7,
and in 1893 had risen to 14.2 per cent.
The Royal Commission on Vaccination completed its final report
last August. I give a short abstract of this on pages 73—81.