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Section II.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Small-Pox.-There were no cases of small-pox in Chelsea in 1908.
In London, during the year 1908, only 4 cases of the disease were
notified, as compared with 9 in 1907, 31 in 1906, 74 in 1905 and 492 in
1904. Two of the notified cases in London in 1908 were in St. Pancras,
1 in Hackney, and 1 in Westminster, the notifications being made in
January, March, September, and December.
Scarlet Fever.—In 1908, 174 cases of scarlet fever were notified in
Chelsea, equivalent to a case-rate of 22.8 per 10,000 of the population, as
against 29.4 in 1907. The number of cases notified in the first quarter
of the year was 45, in the second quarter 41, in the third quarter 35,
and in the fourth quarter 53. The influence of the school holidays in
August was inappreciable, the prevalence of the disease in June and
July having been slight. The maximum prevalence of the year was
reached between the middle of November and the end of December;
but this was accounted for to some extent by the occurrence of 12 cases
amongst the boys of the Duke of York's School out of a total of 45 cases
for the months of November and December. The number of cases
notified during the year was 78 in North Chelsea, and 96 in South
Chelsea. The percentage of cases of school ages (3 to 13 years) of the
total number in the Borough was 70, the same percentage as in 1907.
The average duration of the stay in hospital of 125 cases, of which the
records are to hand, was 61 days, the same as in 1907.
Eighteen cases admitted to the M.A.B. hospitals were subsequently
certified by the Medical Superintendents of those institutions not to be
suffering from scarlet fever or any other notifiable disease. The average
duration of the stay in hospital of these 18 cases was 23 days, as against
16 in 1907. Five cases on discharge from the M.A.B. hospitals were
stated to be still suffering from nasal or aural discharges, as against 9
cases in 1907. So far as is known none of these cases were the means
of spreading infection after return to their homes. During the year
there were 4 instances (2 in one family) of possible "return" cases of
scarlet fever, the intervals elapsing between the return home from
hospital of the infecting case and the onset of the disease in the secondary
case being respectively 1 day, 5 days, 10 days, and 14 days.
Special school incidence in 1908 was shown in connection with only
one school, Cook's Ground L.C.C. School, 4 cases of scarlet fever amongst
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