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The mortality from whooping-cough, and diarrhoea was above the average; that from measles
average; and that from the other diseases below the average.
District Zymotic Rate.—The deaths in North Kensington were 255, and the rate 2.8 per
1,000 persons living. In South Kensington the deaths were 65, and the rate 0.7 per 1,000. The
rate in the several wards, the first four being in North Kensington, and the last five in South
Kensington, was as follows : —
St. Charles . 69 deaths, or 3.1 per 1,000 persons living.
Golbome 95 deaths, or 3.6 per 1,000 persons living.
Norland 63 deaths, or 2.7 per 1,000 persons living.
Pembridge 28 deaths, or 1.4 per 1,000 persons living.
Holland 26 deaths, or 1.3 per 1,000 persons living.
Earl's Court 13 deaths, or 0.7 per 1,000 persons living.
Queen's Gate 8 deaths, or 0.6 per 1,000 persons living.
Redcliffe 13 deaths, or 0.7 per 1,000 persons living.
Brompton 5 deaths, or 0.3 per 1,000 persons living.
The table at page 14 exhibits the distribution of the deaths in the borough, as a whole, from
the several diseases, as recorded in the thirteen four-weekly reports.
In England and Wales the deaths from the principal zymotic diseases were at the rate of
2.05 per 1,000 persons living, the decennial average being about 2.2 per 1,000. In the thirty-three
great towns, including London, the average rate was 2.68, ranging from 1.38 at Huddersfield, 1.40 at
Halifax, 1.52 at Croydon, and 1.53 at Plymouth to 4.10 at Gateshead, Sheffield, and West Ham to
4.28 at Salford.
In Appendix II., statistical information is given, showing (Tables B, C, and D, pp. 123 —124),
the number of deaths from the several diseases during the forty-six years, 1856-1901 ; viz., in Table B,
the annual number of deaths from each of the diseases and the death-rate therefrom ; in Table C, the
number of deaths grouped in quinquennial periods; in Table D, the rate per 1,000 of the population,
in quinquennial periods, of the four notifiable diseases (small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and "fever"),,
and the three non-notifiable diseases—measles, whooping-cough, and diarrhoea.
SMALL-POX.
For the first time since 1893 small-pox became epidemic in London in 1901. The first outbreak
was thought to have originated from a case imported from Paris,* and to have been spread
by infected clothing sent to a suburban laundry, wnere several cases occurred; a circumstance
which recalls a notable experience which was recorded in the preceding annual report (p. 18).
The cases notified in London in the eight successive four-weekly periods ended July 13th, were
3, 3, 0, 1, 2, 2, 13, and 17. In the ninth period, ended August 10th, the cases rose to 116, the
totals in the four remaining four-weekly periods, successively, being 173, 303, 4.13, and 656. Total
for the year, 1,702 (see Table, p. 49). The names of the contributory boroughs are set out in the
table at p. 48. The deaths in London, as a whole, from this cause, were 229; and nearly all
occurred at the establishments of the Asylums Board.
One death only occurred in the borough, the victim being an unvaccinated youth, aged 17
years. The source of infection was not traced. Fourteen cases, in all, were notified, one in
January, and 5, 1, 3, and 4 in the last four four-weekly periods. The first case was that of a
gentleman who was incubating the disease on his arrival from Paris. The next cases were a
group of six in a house at North Kensington, in August and September.
The first to be notified, on September 10th, was Emma W., aged 24 years, the wife of a marble
polisher who resided on the top floor of the house. She was removed to the hospital the same
day. Her illness dated from September 5th ; the source of infection could not be traced. On
September 12th three cases of illness, suspected to be small-pox, occurred in the same house on
the floor below that occupied by the W. family. One, Ethel C., aged 11 (unvaccinated), was
removed to hospital the same day. On the 13th her parents, Charles C., aged 43, a plumber's
mate, and his wife, Ann C., aged 32, were notified and removed to hospital forthwith. The occurrence
of these cases indicated an antecedent case by whom all of them must have been infected,
and it appeared that Emily C., aged 34, domestic servant, and sister to Charles C., had come to
his place from a seaside town, on a visit, on August 17th ; that on the 24th she went into the
country, returning to town on 31st. On this up-journey she was taken ill with sickness,
etc. Medical advice was not sought until September 5th, and then because of the appearance
of spots on various parts of her body. The doctor suspected small-pox, but did not
notify the case, another practitioner who saw her, on the 6th, not confirming the diagnosis.
* Small-pox had been prevalent in Paris for a long time. According to a statement in the British Judical. Journal,
upwards of 4,000 cases were notified from the beginning of January,-19^0, to September 21st. 1901 : 2,468 of them <1 urine the
first 38 weeks of the latter year. The deaths in the 90 weeks were Sfifi. of which 351 occurred during the first 38 weeks of 1901.
It may be remembered that the epidemic of 1871 (my first ytar of office"), which caused about 8,000 deaths in London in a
population of 3,267,000, was attributed to importat-'on of cases during the Franco-German war.