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13
During the year I was asked by doctors to see eleven doubtful cases, which in my opinion were
not small-pox ; all but one being chicken-pox.
In London there were 489 notifications of small-pox during the year.
CHICKEN-POX.
Chicken-pox was only notifiable from the 7th April to November 6th, 1904, inclusive, during
which time 61 notifications were received, 27 belonging to St. Giles and Bloomsbury and 34 to the
Holborn Division.
SCARLET FEVER.
During the 52 weeks ended Saturday, December 31st, 1904, the number of scarlet fever
notifications, excluding duplicates, was only 99, 37 belonging to St. Giles and Bloomsbury, and 62 in
the Holborn Division. In the Holborn District all the cases were removed to hospital, and in the St.
Giles and Bloomsbury District all except three.
This is the smallest number of notifications of scarlet fever received in any year on record. In
1903 the number was 144, and in 1902 202, and the decennial average is 222.
The largest number of notifications occurred in the month of July, when there were twelve
notifications in four weeks. Nearly all occurred during the last ten days of the month, when there was
a small outbreak amongst the children attending the St. John's School. Eight of the children attended
this school, and a ninth was a young child who contracted it from a brother attending the school.
SECONDARY CASES OF SCARLET FEVER.
Of the 99 cases, 82 cases occurred at different houses in which there was no secondary case.
In five houses there were two eases. In one large tenement house there were three cases, and in
another four cases, so that in all there were ten secondary cases.
RETURN CASES.
During the 3'ear there were no "return" cases, i.e., cases occurring in a house after the return
of a patient from hospital.
DIPHTHERIA.
The number of cases of diphtheria notified was only 46, of which 19 belonged to St. Giles and
Bloomsbury and 27 to the Holborn Division. All but one patient was removed to hospital. The
average number of notifications for the preceding decennium was 128, 47 for St. Giles and Bloomsbury,
and 81 for the Holborn Division.
During the year there were seven deaths, four belonging to St. Giles and Bloomsbury, and three
to the Holborn Division.
There was no special outbreak during the year. The disease was most prevalent in the Borough
in the month of June, however in the five weeks of that month there were only 9 notifications.
SECONDARY AND RETURN CASES.
In one house there were two cases notified on the same day, and in the remaining houses there
was no spread of the disease, so that there were no secondary and no return cases.