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Pariah of Wandsworth.
111
cent, compared with 1.63 in 1895, and 2.25 in 1894.
This shows that the type of disease was more severe
than in previous years. The mortality of hospital
treated cases was 6.03 per cent., and of those treated at
home 1.44 per cent.
This great difference in mortality is to be explained
by the fact that the milder cases were more frequently
kept at home while the graver cases were sent to hospital.
The total case mortality for the whole of the Metropolis
for the year 1896 was 3.66 per cent.
The maximum number of notifications was received
in the month of October, when 51 cases were notified,
and the minimum in February when 18 were notified.
The large increase of scarlet fever was general all
over the Metropolis, and owing to this, some difficulty
was occasionally experienced in having the cases removed
to hospital as no beds were available.
During the year 1896, the proportion of persons
reported to be suffering from scarlet lever in London
was equal to 5.6 per 1,100 of population, while in this
sub-district the proportion was 6.8.
During the month of March several cases occurred
in No. 1 Ward in children attending the infant department
of the Board School there, and there was reason
to think that infection was being spread by a case which
had not been notified. I communicated the particulars
to the medical officer of the School Board suggesting
that the infant department of the above school should
be closed for 14 days. He accordingly advised the
school to be closed from March 27th to the 13th April,
with beneficial results.