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Suicides.
11 persons belonging to the Borough committed suicide in 1904, viz., 1 by poison, 6 by
hanging, 1 by drowning, 1 by firearms, 1 by knife, and 1 by jumping from height.
Accidents.
103 deaths were due to this cause against 98 in 1903, and 108 in 1902. Particulars will
be found in the large table of deaths in the appendix.
Other violent deaths.
There was one death from homicide by stabbing in the neck.
II—NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
In Table III. of Appendix will be found full particulars of the diseases notified in
Bermondsey during the 52 weeks ending December 31st, 1904.
This year I have to report a slight increase in the notification of infectious disease. the
increase, however, is not sufficiently large to invalidate the statement that the diminution which
was reported in 1903 is still maintained, and is probably to be explained by the ordinary
variations which occur from year to year.
The number of cases notified in 1904 (exclusive of chicken-pox) was 926, and including
this was 1,220. The corresponding total for 1903 was 867 (chicken-pox not being notifiable),
showing an increase of 59. The diseases which showed an increase were small-pox (12),
diphtheria (19), erysipelas (5), scarlet fever (51), continued fever (1) ; and those which showed
a decrease were membranous croup (2), typhus (18), enteric (3), relapsing fever (1), puerperal
fever (5).
The numbers in the registration sub-districts (exclusive of chicken-pox) were Bermondsey
569 against 575 in 1903, Rotherhithe 308 against 186 in 1903, St. Olave's 49 against 106 in
1903.
It would thus appear that there has been a slight diminution of infectious disease in
Bermondsey, a large diminution in St. Olave's, and a considerable increase in Rotherhithe. In
this latter scarlet fever accounts for practically all the increase, the numbers for 1904 being 163,
and for 1903, 71 —less than half.
The attack rate of these diseases per 1,000 inhabitants, excluding chicken-pox, is 7'2 for
the whole Borough, the rate for the sub-districts being 6.9 Bermondsey, 8.0 Rotherhithe, and
5.5 St. Olave's. The corresponding figures for 1903 were 6.7 whole Borough, 7.o Bermondsey,
4.8 Rotherhithe, and 11.5 St. Olave's.
Forty-one cases of the above were returned from hospital as not suffering from the diseases
for which they were notified. Although strictly speaking these should be deducted to give a net
result, for the reasons mentioned in previous reports they probably more nearly represent the
true number of cases occurring.
Small-pox.
There were 19 notifications of small-pox during the year, of which 18 were genuine cases,
and one was returned as not being small-pox.
This small percentage of wrong diagnosis was largely due to the appointment by the
London County Council of two experts, Messrs. Wanklyn and Bingham, both of whom had a
large and recent experience of small-pox. There were no deaths. The following are particulars
of the individual cases: —
(1) February 3rd.—C.W., 25, male, Temeraire Street.vaccinatined infancy. Convalescent
when notified.
(2) February 3rd. —A. S. W., 23, female, wife of above. Vaccinated in infancy.
(3) February 3rd. —C. J. W., 5 weeks, male, son of above. Unvaccinated.
The history of infection in this family is very interesting, and illustrates the value of
intercommunication between Medical Officers of Health where " contacts " are concerned. The
following is the report transmitted to the Public Health Committee : —
" On February 2nd I received a letter from the Medical Officer of Health, Wandsworth,
confirming a telephone message on the previous day, that C. R., 27 years (m), had been
removed from a house in Wandsworth suffering from small-pox. It appears he had
been a resident at Albion Street, Rotherhithe, until January 19th, when he went to a
situation in Wandsworth. He fell ill on January 28th, and the rash appeared on the
30th. On January 31st he visited Albion Street, and remained there all day. He
went back to Wandsworth on February 1t, on which day he was removed to hospital.
" I ascertained that this patient's sister lived in Temeraire Street, and that there
had been cases of chicken-pox in her family. I visited this house and found that C. W.,
her husband, fell ill on January 7th, and was attended by a medical man for chickenpox.
On January 18th, the baby, 4 weeks old, fell ill with what was diagnosed by the
same medical man as chicken-pox. On January 21st the mother seems to have taken
ill, and had a few spots on her face. I may say the history of the illness in none of
these cases was suggestive of small-pox, but, on examining the child, I found there
were abundant scars on the hands, feet, body and face, and on the face and head and
parts of the body there were numerous scabs.