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14
tan Unions was only 5.7 per cent. of the total births. In
1891 this proportion had risen to 16.4 per cent., and is still
rising. In the St. Olave Union the corresponding rates were
41 and 15.3 per cent., and in 1893 had risen to 16.8
per cent.
The Registrar-General states that "No death of a
vaccinated person is known to have occurred from small-pox
in London during 1896."
Scarlet Fever or Scarlatina.—There were 59 cases notified,
and 5 deaths, 57 of the 59 cases were removed to hospital.
In London the notifications were 25,647 in number, and the
deaths from the complications of this disease were 940.
During the last half of the year the hospitals of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board were very full, so that it was
often impossible to have patients suffering from scarlet fever
or diphtheria promptly removed to hospital; in many cases
there was a delay of several days, notwithstanding daily
application to Norfolk House.
On this account 1 wrote the following letter (from the
Holborn Town Hall) to the Managers, and asked Dr. Perry
to do what he could in the matter:
"As this Board cannot have even the most urgent cases
of scarlet fever removed to your Board's Hospitals, I hope
you will give your permission for a few more patients to be
admitted to the larger wards of the hospitals."
"It must surely be a much less evil that patients should
have only 1600 cu. ft., say (instead of the 2000 cu. ft. now
allowed), than to be kept in crowded rooms with probably less
than 150 cu. ft., and at the same time mixed with healthy
children, and a source of danger to many others."
"A ward now having 24 beds would then accommodate
30 patients."