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instances a notification was received from one of the
hospital Superintendents to the effect that the diagnosis
as certified was incorrect. Of the 186 true cases
treated in hospital, 23 died, a case mortality of 12.4
per cent., as against 8.1 amongst the whole of the
cases treated at the Metropolitan Asylums Board Eastern
Hospital. All the Diphtheria deaths except three were
among young children aged less than five years. The
Diphtheria mortality in Bethnal Green was at the rate
of 0.18 per thousand living, as against 0.14 for the
whole of London. Eighty-seven of the cases were
reported from the North-East Sub-district, and 116
from the South-West.
The Inspectors report that the houses of 122 of
the patients were in a fairly satisfactory condition, but
in 23 instances the W.C., or the apparatus connected
therewith, was found to be defective. The drain inside
the house was leaky in six instances, that outside the
house required amendment in nine, and minor insanitary
defects obtained in eighty. Seventeen persons
were removed from single room tenements, two of
which were overcrowded.
During the year, 48,000 units of antitoxin were
supplied to various practitioners in the Borough
gratuitously.
Throat swabs from 47 patients were submitted to
the Clinical Research Association at the request of
medical practitioner. In seven, the characteristic
organism was found, but in 40 the result was negative.