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7
House Acts, having been made by the Whitechapel Board of
Works, it was resolved by your Vestry to support these
representations.
Scarlet Fever. — 308 cases of this disease were registered
against 230 for the previous year, and of these 149 were
removed to hospital.
The fatal cases were eight, shewing a diminution of two
deaths over the preceding year, the rate of mortality being
2.6 per cent. from which it may be inferred that the cases
were mostly of a mild type.
Diphtheria was the cause of 14 deaths, showing a diminution
of six deaths over the preceding year. The total number
of cases notified was 112, against 96 for 1894 and 158 for
1893. The total deaths in London from diphtheria and
croup taken together numbered 2460. Although fewer by
376 than the number thus returned in 1894, these deaths
were still 299 in excess of the average. A question of much
public interest has been raised, chiefly by the reports of Mr.
iShirley Murphy, the Medical Officer of Health to the London
County Council, as to how far the influence exerted by
schools in promoting the diffusion of diphtheria, measles, and
other infectious diseases. In these reports it is shown, with
regard to both scarlet fever and diphtheria, that cases of
these diseases decline with the commencement of the School
Board holidays and increase again with the re-opening of
the Schools.
The progressive greater liability of girls as compared with
boys, in relation to age, points to personal contact as another
important source of infection. In connection with the subject