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one is that, unlike that of scarlet fever, the mortality of diphtheria is not
subject to great epidemic fluctuations, but like that of typhoid fever, it is
comparative steady, as the following figures show.

These figures also show that, whereas the mortality rate of diphtheria is steadily
rising, that of typhoid is equally steadily falling pari passu with improving
sanitation, and that of scarlet fever is also falling pari passu with increased
hospital isolation, no hospital accommodation having been provided for
diphtheria until the end of 1889.
It is important to note these points because diphtheria resembles scarlet
fever in its power of spreading directly from person to person, and also resembles
typhoid fever, in that either diphtheria, or some form of throat diseases
closely allied with it, may arise from certain insanitary conditions. Comparing
the two last diseases, whereas typhoid only occasionally spreads
directly from one person to another, diphtheria always spreads with great
facility from person to person; and whereas typhoid varies in direct proportion
to insanitary conditions, the relationship of diphtheria to insanitary
conditions is overwhelmed by the influence of personal infection. So that,
whereas the improvement of sanitation markedly decreases the mortality of
the former, it appears to have no effect upon the latter; and whereas the