View report page

27
spread of small-pox; it was a measure which proved of great value
in acquiring information of cases of that disease which otherwise
would never have been notified, and as a result would have led to a
great extension, as they were regarded as cases of chicken-pox, both
by parents and medical attendants. In this borough the number of
such cases of small-pox mistaken for chicken-pox reached the
number of 22. It is a measure which I am of opinion should be
resorted to when small-pox becomes epidemic in London; for it is
not at all likely that small-pox will ever become so common in
London as to enable every medical practitioner to have an expert
knowledge of this disease, so as to avoid errors of diagnosis.
The visits made to places, where cases of chicken-pox occurred, led
to the abatement of nuisances, which otherwise may not have been
revealed to the local authority.
B.—NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Influenza.—This disease was slightly more prevalent in the
Borough during 1902 than during the previous year, the deaths
reaching the number of 44. The ages at death show that this
disease is chiefly one of adult life. Of the above deaths 3 were under
the age of 5 years; 3 between 5 and 25 years; and 38 between 25
and 85 years of age. The mortality for 1902 is equivalent to a
death-rate of .2 per 1,000 living.
Diaerhœa.—There were 103 deaths certified from diarrhoea; there
were in addition 30 from enteritis or gastro-enteritis. The deaths
from diarrhoea under 1 year of age numbered 83, and from enteritis
and gastro-enteritis 18. Including the whole of these deaths under
the cause diarrhoea, we get a mortality of .6 per 1,000 living.
During 1901 there were 168 deaths certified to be due to diarrhoea,
and 77 due to enteritis or gastro-enteritis. So that during 1902 there
were less than half the number of deaths from the above causes than
during 1901. The diminution is no doubt due to the cold and wet
summer of 1902, the mean temperature of June, July and August