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133
[1909
Enteric Fever.—To Enteric Fever were ascribed 95 cases, or exactly
50 per cent. less than the corrected average of the preceding 10 years. This
is an extraordinary decrease. An examination of the returns, however, shows
that there has been a steady fall in the numbers since 1899, when 353
were notified. In comparing the returns in quinquennial periods, it is found
that in the quinquennium 1891-1895 there were 1,088 cases reported, while in
1890-1900 l,344 were known. During the next quinquennium, 1901-1905, they
fell to 894, and duriing the last four years the decline was continued, as in this
period 433 cases only were notified. The summer and autumn weather conditions
for several years past were as favourable to this disease as they were
to diarrhceal diseases, and no doubt account for the considerable falling off
that has occurred latterly.
The attack rate was 0.27 per 1000 of the population, as against a decennial
rate of 0.54. In the County of London it was as low as 0.22, which is considerably
below that of 217 provincial towns tabulated in the Registrar
General's return, in which it was 0 37.
Hospital Isolation.—7'2 out of the 95 notified cases of the disease, or
75.8 per cent., unJerwent treatment in hospital. This is eminently a disease
where good nursing tends to recovery, which is shown by the fact that whereas
only 9.7 per cent. of the cases died in hospital, 21.7 of those treated at home
succumbed.
Fatality.—It was found that 12 deaths occurred among the notified cases
or 12.6 per cent., as compared with 18.5 per cent. in 1907, 12.7 in 1900, and
17.9 in 1905.