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51
DIPHTHERIA.
In 1888, and 1889, diphtheria was epidemic in Kensington,
especially in the northern parts of the parish: the deaths, 89
and 111 in the two years respectively, were 65 and 79 above the
corrected decennial average. In 1890 the deaths were 35
only, and 6 below the corrected average. In 1891 the deaths
further fell to 28, and were 12 below the corrected average.
In 1892 the deaths were 31, and 12 below the average. Last
year the deaths were 83, and 40 above the average. Sixty-five
of the deaths belong to the Town sub-district, and eighteen to
Brompton. The deaths in the Brompton sub district in the
preceding five years had been 2, 5, 6, 4, and 4, respectively.
Twenty-nine of the deaths in 1893 took place at home and 54
in hospitals—most of them in the North-Western and the
Western Fever Hospitals. The ages at death were: under
five years, 47 (including five in the first year of life) ; between
five and fifteen, 25; between fifteen and twenty-five, 3; between
twenty-five and thirty-five, 3 ; between thirty-five and fiftyfive,
4 : one death occurred at the age of seventy-seven. The
cases recorded as diphtheria were 353, viz., 158 north, and 195
south of Uxbridge Road, i.e., in the Parliamentary Divisions of
North and South Kensington respectively. One hundred and
ninety-one of the sufferers were removed to hospital; 87 from
North Kensington and 104 from South Kensington. The sufferers
comprised 146 males and 207 females: 96 of them were under
five years of age; 133 between five and twelve years (the usual
public elementary school age) 42 between twelve and twentyone,
and 82 upwards of twenty-one. One hundred and forty of
the children had been in attendance at schools, 64 in North
Kensington, and 76 in South Kensington. The casemortality
in hospital-treated cases was 28 3 per cent. in
home-treated cases 17.9 per cent. The total case-mortality,
61.8 per cent in 1888, and 45.3 per cent. in 1889, fell in 1890
(notification being then in practice) to 16 8 per cent., and in
1891 to 15.4 per cent. In 1892 it was 17.5 per cent., and last