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23
DIPHTHERIA.
Other streets in which more than 3 cases occurred during the year were -
In St. Mary's Sub-District.
Adpar Street
6 cases in 5 houses.
Croxley Road
4 cases in 3 houses.
Amberley Road
7 „ 6 „
Fermoy Road
4 „ 2 „
Barnsdale Road
5 „ 4 „
Warwick Road
4 „ 3 „
Clarendon Street
8 „ 7 „
In St. John's Sub-District.
Bathurst Mews
5 cases in 3 houses.
Lancaster Mews
4 cases in 2 houses.
Craven Terrace
5 ,, 1 house.
In the whole Borough the 343 cases were reported from 284 houses, viz., 238 cases from a like
number of houses; 70 cases from 35 houses; 30 from 10 houses; and five from one house. The
frequency of these multiple eases in each Ward is indicated below:—
Houses having
Wards.
1 case.
2 cases.
3 cases.
5 cases.
I. Queen's Park 81 8 4
II. Harrow Road 57 14 3 —
III. Maida Yale 17 5 — —
IV. Westbourne 24 4 1 —
V. Church 34 3 — —
VI. Lancaster Gate, West 5 — — —
VII. Lancaster Gate, East 11 1 1 1
VIII. Hyde Park 9 — 1 —
The intervals which elapsed between the first and subsequent cases reported from the same
house varied from nothing (cases reported together) up to 12 months. The chief facts are
summarized below:—
Households with two cases during the year—
Intervals.
WARDS.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Days.
0
—
—
1*
—
1
1
—
—
1
1
. —
—
2
—
—
1
—
—
—
—
—
3
—
3(1)
—
—
—
—
—
—
4
1
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
5
1
—
...
—
—
—
6
2 (1)
—
—
—
—
—
—
Weeks
1
2
4 (1)
1
1
—
2
—
2
1
—
—
—
—
—
3
—
—
1
—
—
—
—
Months.
1
1
1
__
1
—
—
—
2
1
—
—
2
—
—
—
—
3
—
—
—
—
1
—
—
—
4
—
—
1
7
1
—
12
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
In five households the primary cases were kept at home for treatment. These cases are
indicated in italics. The incubation period of diphtheria is not definitely known. Moreover, there
is the difficulty arising from the fact that the bacillus may be present in the throats of members of
an infected family who, themselves in apparently good health, may convey the disease to
others. As a working hypothesis, it may be presumed that secondary cases occurring not later than
a fortnight after the last contact with the first cases are due to direct personal infection. The
intervals given above represent the time which elapsed between the reputed dates of onset in each
* There is good reason to believe that neither of the cases reported from this household was diphtheria.