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Both measles and whooping cough are very difficult to control, since they are infectious
before the characteristic symptoms appear. I am glad to see that the London County Council
has applied sections 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, and 74 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, to measles, and if it should do nothing else but call attention to the serious
nature of the complaint, they will have accomplished something towards the checking of
epidemics.
Scarlet Fever.
Eighteen deaths from scarlet fever occurred during 1902. This gives a rate of .14 per
thousand, which is .13 below the average for the last 10 years, and .20 below the year 1901, in
which year the total deaths amounted to 45. The greatest number (12) occurred in the age
period 1 to 5 years. As will be pointed out under "Notification," there was a great diminution
of cases in the district during the year.
Diphtheria.
Twenty-nine deaths occurred from this cause during the year 1902, against 36 in the
previous year. This gives a rate of .22 per thousand, which is not only less than that for 1901 but
.38 less than the average for the last ten years. The greatest number of deaths, viz., 20, were
in the age period 1 to 5 years, and 10 occurred during the fourth quarter.
Typhus Fever.
No deaths were attributed to this cause.
Enteric Fever.
Twelve deaths were attributed to enteric fever, which is a little more than half the
number that occurred during the year 1901. The age period which contributed the largest
number of deaths, viz., 6, was from 15 to 25 years.
Simple Continued Fever.
No deaths occurred which could be placed under this designation.
Diarrhœa.
As mentioned in the report for 1901, the following are included under this head: —
Epidemic Enteritis,
Zymotic Enteritis,
Epidemic or Summer Diarrhœa,
Dysentery and Dysenteric Diarrhœa,
Choleraic Diarrhœa, Cholera and Cholera Nostras (in absence of Asiatic Cholera).
88 deaths were attributed to these causes, viz., 63 in Bermondsey, 17 in Rotherhithe, and 8 in
St. Olave's, against 133 during 1901. This gives a death rate of ·68 per thousand living, which is
·18 below the average of the last 10 years and ·32 below 1901. The decrease in the number of deaths
from this cause may be attributed to the unusually cold and wet summer of 1902. As mentioned
in my last report the immediate cause of diarrhœa is a specific microbe or microbes which
probably abound in the dust and dirt of the streets, and which develop most rapidly during great
heat. When the summer is cold and the streets are flushed with frequent rains, articles and
food do not run such a risk of being contaminated. This is some indication of the endeavour
which should be made to keep the streets in summer well watered with a dilute solution of some
antiseptic, such as permanganate of potash. Inquiries similar to those of 1901 were instituted
in the deaths of children under one year. The total number of cases inquired into was 40.
Table H. —Diarrhœa.
Year.
Cases
Inquired
Into.
State of Premises.
Family.
Method of Feeding.
Overcrowding.
Defective.
Fair.
Clean and
Careful.
Dirty and
Improvident.
Breast.
Artificially.
Partially
by Both
Methods.
Good.
4
13
59
2
1901
49
23
2
70
-
74
1
1902
21
18
1
37
3
6
33
1
40
19
107
92
1
114
41
3
7
Total
70
3
The above table shows that by far the most important factor in the mortality from
diarrhœa is artificial feeding, and this is brought out still more strikingly by the figures for the
two years, viz., 92 artificially fed and only 19 breast fed. These figures only emphasise the
importance of having purity in the milk supply.
Tubercular Diseases.
The number of deaths due to all forms of tubercular diseases in 1902 was 345, viz., 237
for Bermondsey, 78 for Rotherhithe, and 30 for St. Olave's.
Phthisis.
The number of deaths attributed to phthisis in the Borough was 239, viz., 163 for
Bermondsey, 55 for Rotherhithe, and 21 for St. Olave's. Out of this total, 77 occurred in the
first quarter, 45 in the second, 47 in the third, and 70 in the fourth. The appended table shows
the death rates for phthisis in 1902 and the previous eight years, along with the death rate for
phthisis in London.
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