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Section II.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Small-pox.—There were no cases of small-pox in Chelsea in 1905.
In London, during the year 1905, only 74 cases of the disease were
notified, as against 492 in 1904, and 417 in 1903. The majority of the
74 cases were notified in the Eastern and Southern Boroughs, only four
cases occurring in the Western Boroughs, namely—two in Paddington,
and two in Westminster. Thirty-four cases were notified in the first
quarter of the year, 33 in the second, 6 in the third, and 1 in the fourth
quarter. The case mortality, or percentage of deaths to attacks of the
74 London cases, was 13.5 per cent., as compared with a fatality of 51
per cent. in 1904, 31 per cent. in 1903, and 16 4 per cent. during the
epidemic period 1901-2.
Scarlet Fever.—This disease was more prevalent in Chelsea in
1905, than it has been since 1898. As many as 229 cases were notified,
equivalent to a case-rate of 30.7 per 10,000 of the population, as against
only 145 per 10,000 in 1904. The number of cases notified in the
first quarter of the year was 43, in the second quarter 49, in the third
quarter 51, and in the fourth quarter 86. There was a marked
autumnal rise in prevalence towards the end of September, the prevalence
remaining high until the end of November. The number of cases
notified during the year in North Chelsea was 127, and in South
Chelsea 102. The percentage of cases at school ages (3 to 13 years) to
the total number of cases in the Borough was 79 per cent., as compared
with 72 per cent. in 1904. The average duration of the stay in hospital
of 174 cases, of which the records are to hand, was 62 days, as against
65 in 1904. Twelve cases admitted to the M.A.B. hospitals were subsequently
certified by the Medical Superintendents of these institutions
not to be suffering from scarlet fever, or any other notifiable disease.
The average duration of the stay in hospital of these 12 cases was 21
days. Ten cases on discharge from the M.A.B. hospitals were stated to
be still suffering from nasal discharge; but, so far as known, none
of the cases of rhinorrhœa were the means of spreading infection.
During the year there were three " return " cases of scarlet fever, the
intervals elapsing between the return home from hospital of the infecting
case and the onset of the disease in the secondary case being respectively
two, four, and five days.
There was no special incidence of scarlet fever upon any particular
school or schools during the course of the year; but there was an outbreak
in the children's wards of the Chelsea Infirmary during November
of a somewhat anomalous character, eight children and five of the
nursing staff being attacked and removed to the M.A.B. hospitals.
Four of these 13 cases were subsequently certified by the M.A.B.
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