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Board for London in April, enquiring whether the Vestry would
grant a certificate stating when the premises in which an
infectious disease had occurred have been disinfected, so that the
head teacher of the school attended by the children from the
house in question may have some guarantee upon their
re-admission. In reply the Vestry stated that upon enquiry
being made by the head teacher of any elementary school, the
sanitary officers would answer the same according to the facts of
the case, on the understanding that the Vestry incur no responsibility
by so doing.
In November last the Managers of the Metropolitan Asylums
Board entered into an arrangement with the Royal College of
Physicians with the idea of affording their medical officers
opportunities for the early recognition and accurate diagnosis of
diphtheria by means of bacteriological examination. Reference
must also be made as to the anti-toxic serum treatment of
diphtheria, which seems to have been very successful in
Germany, France, &c. On the 8th of December last the Board
accepted the offer of the Laboratories' Committee of the Royal
Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons for supplying serum for the
treatment of cases of diphtheria in their hospitals.
Fevers.—Under this heading forty-four cases were notified,
forty-three being cases of typhoid fever, and one a case of continued
fever. Last year the number of cases notified was fortyfive.
Four deaths were registered this year against seven last
year. It may be interesting to note from statistics that the
male sex is more liable to be attacked by enteric fever, but its
fatality is greater amongst the female sex.
Measles.—This disease caused 37 deaths compared with five
last year. Measles was very prevalent in London during the
year, and almost double the number of deaths occurred compared
with that of the previous year.
On and after the 1st April, 1894, the Vestry decided to
abandon the notification of this disease, and up to that date 227
cases were notified.
Diarrhoea.—Eleven deaths were registered from this disease,
ten of which were in children under five years of age. Fortythree
deaths were registered in 1893.
Cholera.—No deaths occurred from, and no cases were
notified of this disease. With regard to cholera, a circular letter
was received from the Local Government Board, dated 16th
July, 1894, its object being that of encouraging Sanitary
Authorities to attach more importance to the prevalence of
diarrhoea and to obtain the classification of the disease until the
end of September. I accordingly reported on this letter to the
Vestry, the Local Government Board rightly assuming that
diarrhoea is often a prelude to other diseases. With a view of