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It will be seen from this return that there has been of late
an alarming increase of diphtheria throughout the country,
and the mortality has been without precedent. The disease
has been principally confined to children during the school
age, three to ten.
In London, in proportion to population, there has been
the highest fatality in the Central Districts.
It is considered the unusual dry weather which prevailed
throughout a greater portion of the year has been a factor
in the increase of cases of the disease.
Dr. Sweeting, in a paper read before the Epidemiological
Society, gives a statistical account of cases of diphtheria
occurring during convalescence from scarlet fever, and shows
that "post scarlatinal diphtheria" has occurred regularly at
most of the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums' Board.
He suggests that the aggregation of acute cases of scarlet
fever may have had some influence in fostering an outbreak
of subsequent diphtheria.
Dr. Sweeting, in common with a large number of the most
eminent physicians, does not find that the Sanitary or
administrative surroundings of the patients have had any
marked importance in the spread of the disease, whilst
others hold that all causes, such as damp, cold, and sewer
gas, which produced sore throat, were predisposing
conditions of diphtheria.