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a report was received from one of the hospital medical superintendents
to the effect that the certificate under which the patient was
removed to hospital was incorrect, inasmuch as the patient was not
suffering from any form of notifiable disease. In addition to these a
number of the cases notified as scarlet fever turned out to be suffering
from diphtheria and vice versa.
The Inspector's reports on the sanitary condition of the residences
of the sick persons give the following particulars : In 203 instances
the premises were in a fairly good condition, in 40 the closets were
out of order, in 11 the drains inside the house were leaky, and in 34.
the external drains were defective. In four instances the premises
were overcrowded, and minor insanitary conditions were noted in
179. Thirty-seven of the cases occurred amongst families inhabiting
one room only.
DIPHTHERIA (including MEMBRANOUS CROUP).
(Total deaths, 33. Decennial average, 90.)
The total number of cases reported under the two heads was 310,
11 of these were designated membranous croup. The deaths
numbered 33; this indicates a mortality rate of io - 6 per cent, on the
notifications. The Asylums Board death rate on the admissions for
the whole of London is 11*15 per cent. On the estimated population
at all ages the mortality is 0-25, whilst the general Metropolitan rate
is 0.24. Of the notifications, 136 of the diphtheria and five of the
membranous croup cases were reported from the North sub-district,
71 and 3 from the South, and 92 and 3 from the East. 235 patients
were removed to hospital, 25 of these were subsequently reported as
incorrectly diagnosed. Amongst the 235 persons removed to hospital,
are included five children suffering from croup, admitted to either the
London Hospital or the North Eastern Hospital for operation. In
138 instances, the residence of the patient was found to be in a satisfactory
sanitary condition, but in 35 the closets were faulty, in three the
external drainage was out of order, and in four the internal drainage
was defective, and minor insanitary conditions were found in 151
instances.
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