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22
DIPHTHERIA.

The cases recorded in the Borough rose from 176 in 1900 to 341? last year, an increase of 96
per cent., and in the Metropolis from 12,009 in 1900 to 12,165 last year, an increase of 1 per cent.
only. In comparison with the decennial averages, last year's cases represent an excess of 14 per
cent. in the Borough and 3 per cent. in the Metropolis. The case-rate for the Borough was
nevertheless 0.31 less than that for the Metropolis.
Of the six districts included in Table 16, Willesden is the only one in which last year's returns
(400 cases, equal to a case-rate of 3.43) were in excess of those of the Borough. Marylebone with
258 cases comes next to the Borough. The coincidence of high prevalences of diphtheria in
Willesden and Paddington has been alluded to in former reports.
A reference to Table 17 will show that the greater part of last year's increase was due to a
special prevalence in the North-West Paddington Sub-District, when the cases were 58 in excess of
the decennial average, an increase of 118 per cent.; while the number of cases recorded in St. Mary's
Registration Sub-District (196) were 22 below the average, a fall of 11 per cent. The returns for
each of the last ten years from the three Sub-Districts will be found in Table III. in the Appendix
(p. 66). The quinquennial and decennial averages are set out below:—

The sex-age incidence as regards numbers of cases will be seen from an examination of Table
18, while the cases from each Ward are given in Table 19. The returns have not previously
been tabulated for the Wards. Information as to the numbers living at the various ages has not
yet been obtained and consequently the sex-age rates cannot be determined.
Of the 343 cases reported, 23 were apparently due to infection contracted beyond the Borough,
three of the patients being at the time in hospitals in different parts of the Metropolis. In 14
instances the diagnosis of diphtheria was found to be erroneous. Three eases followed the return of
previous patients from the isolation hospitals to their homes.
In previous Reports attention has been specially called to certain streets in the northern parts
of the Borough from which an unduly largo proportion of cases has been reported. The figures for
last year are set out below in comparison with those of the three preceding years:—
1898.
Cases. Houses.
1899.
Cases. Houses.
1900.
Cases. Houses.
1901.
Cases. Houses.
Ashmore Road 11 10 11 10 4 4 8 5
Bravington Road 22 15 13 12 10 8 13 10
Chippenham Road 6 5 3 3 11 22
Fernhead Road 8 5 4 4 11 98
Kilburn Park Road 16 14 13 12 3 2 2 1
Portnall Road 9 9 18 14 8 4 10 9
Saltram Crescent 5 4 8 8 66 65
Shirland Road 11 10 10 8 4 3 10 5
Walterton Road 4 3 5 3 22 95
92 75 85 74 39 31 69 50
These streets contain approximately 1,700 houses.