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Accidents.
113 deaths were due to accidents, against 103 in 1904. Particulars will be found in the
extended table of the "Causes of Death."
Other Violent Deaths.
There was one death by homicide and was caused by enforced inhalation of ammonia.
II- NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
In Table III. of Appendix will be found particulars of infectious diseases notified in
Bermondsey during the year 1905.
During this year there was a considerable increase of notifiable disease, this increase
being due to the greatly increased prevalence of scarlet fever.
The number of cases notified in 1905 was 1139, against 926 in 1904, and 867 in 1903.
The diseases which show an increase are scarlet fever (317), and puerperal fever (3); and those
which show a decrease are small-pox (19), diphtheria (27), enteric fever (31), continued fever (1).
The numbers in the registration sub-districts were: — Bermondsey 570 against 575 in
1904, Rotherhithe 508 against 306 in 1904, St. Olave's 61 against 69 in 1904.
From these figures it is evident that while there has been a small increase in Bermondsey
and St. Olave's, there has been a remarkable increase in Rotherhithe.
This increase is due solely to a prevalence of scarlet fever, the figures of all the other
diseases showing a considerable diminution, the numbers being 1905 (409), 1904 (163),
1903 (71).
This subject is referred to again under "Scarlet Fever."
The attack rate of these diseases per 1,000 inhabitants was 8.8 for the whole Borough, the
rate for the sub-districts being, 6.9 Bermondsey, 13.3 Rotherhithe, and 7.1 for St. Olave's. The
corresponding figures for 1904 were 7.2 whole Borough, 6.9 Bermondsey, 8.0 Rotherhithe, and
5.5 St. Olave's. The attack rate for Rotherhithe in 1908 was 4.8.
The number of cases of scarlet fever are thus not only relatively greater than in
Bermondsey, but absolutely, since the figures are 409 Rotherhithe and 329 Bermondsey.
40 cases were returned from hospital as not suffering from the diseases for which they
were notified, but reasons have been given in previous reports for considering the total number
of cases notified as representing more nearly the actual number occurring than the figure left
after deduction of cases sent home again, the principal reason referred to being the number of
mild cases which go unnotified. This argument is specially applicable to the present year.
Small-pox.
There was no case of small-pox notified in Bermondsey during 1905. A death occurred
at the South Wharf from this disease, which was allocated to this Borough. For the explanation
see among "Deaths."
Typhus Fever.
No cases of this disease occurred in Bermondsey during the year under report.
Diphtheria.
There were 165 cases of diphtheria notified in 1905, of which 113 occurred in Bermondsey,
40 in Rotherhithe, and 12 in St. Olave's. This is a decrease on 1904, for which the figures were
Borough 191, Bermondsey 123, Rotherhithe 60, and St. Olave's 8. These numbers are very
satisfactory, since this is the smallest number of diphtheria notifications since the formation of
the Borough, the nearest approach being 1903 when the number was 174 (including two cases of
membraneous croup).
The attack rate per thousand persons living was 1.3, and as there were 18 deaths, the
case mortality was 10.9 per cent, against 8.9 in 1904, and 10.5 in 1903.
The accompanying chart shows an even distribution in time, and an examination of Table
III. in the Appendix does not reveal a preponderance of cases in any particular Ward.
13 cases were returned from hospital not suffering from this disease. This is only about
half the number returned last year. During 1905 more specimens were sent in by general
practitioners than 1904, 108 against 91.
Of the 108 examinations made, 20 were positive and only one was returned from hospital
in which Klebs-Leoffler bacilli had been found. An isolated case of this sort does not necessarily
prove either the hospital or me to be wrong. Diphtheria bacilli have a mysterious way of either
disappearing quickly from some throats or else becoming hidden, so that when the throat of
a child is examined at a few days' interval the bacilli which were evident on the first occasion
fail to show themselves on the second one.
The plan of examining all diphtheria contacts before permitting them to return to school
inaugurated in 1903 has been continued unaltered. For the details the Annual Reports for
1903 and 1904 may be consulted.
It has worked without friction and no school contact that we are aware of has escaped.
The number of contacts examined for school attendance was 108, belonging to 41 families.
Out of this number 8 had diphtheria bacilli in their throats or noses, and of these 4 subsequently
developed clinical symptoms of diphtheria and were notified as such. Those contacts who
did not develop symptoms were advised to get an antiseptic gargle from their medical