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vi.

Since age and sex distribution vary in different towns,
and on account of this fact being an important consideration
in comparing the death-rate of one town with another, it is
necessary to multiply by the factor for correction. This for
Camberwell, as ascertained in the census of 1901, is 1·03788,
so that the corrected death rate is 14·32, and in contrasting
deaths in Camberwell with any other town this
number should be used.
The number of notifications received during the year
amounted to 1,466, including duplicates, but excluding 20
of chicken-pox. After eliminating double notifications so far
as is possible the total is 1,407, compared with the corrected
total of 2,789 in 1902.
The scarlet fever cases, which were 1,306 in 1902, last
year fell to 667, but the case fatality has diminished in
a still greater degree, there being only 11 deaths, contrasted
with 44 in the previous year. The decrease has affected all
the registration sub-districts, but has been more especially
marked in Camberwell.
Diphtheria shows a decrease equally marked, the
number being over 300 less than last year, Dulwich alone of
the sub-districts having shown an increase.
A corresponding diminution in these two diseases was
shown in practically all the South London boroughs.
While the increasing use of diphtheria anti-toxin and
the early measures that are now taken in treating an attack
may account for the diminished fatality, it does not seem
possible to ascribe the corresponding diminution in that of
scarlet fever to any other reason than a change either in the