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17
Section II.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Small Pox.—There were no cases of small pox in Chelsea in 1911.
In London, during the year 1911, 73 cases of the disease were notified,
as compared with 7 in 1910. Of the 73 cases 61 were notified in the
4 weeks terminating the 18th March, 39 of these occurring in Stepney.
The outbreak was in fact practically confined to Stepney and neighbouring
eastern boroughs.
Scarlet fever.—In 1911, 142 cases of scarlet fever were notified in
Chelsea, equivalent to a case rate of 21.4 per 10,000 of the population,
as against 17.8 in 1910. The number of cases notified in the first
quarter of the year was 34, in the second quarter 39, in the third
quarter 33, and in the fourth quarter 36. The largest number of cases
occurring in any one one month was 16 in March, and the lowest 4 in
January. In December 5 of the 12 notified cases were children
attending the Oratory Girls' School, and there was some reason to
believe that the origin of these cases was a " missed " case of the disease,
which was continuing to attend the school, but the actual individual
was not identified. Two children of this school who had been absent for
some time in November, were found on visiting their homes to exhibit
signs of having had the disease in very mild form. There was no special
school incidence of scarlet fever in respect of any other school in the
Borough.
In North Chelsea 78 cases were notified during the year, and in
South Chelsea 64 cases. The percentage of cases of school age (3 to 13
years) of the total number in the Borough was 75, as compared with
66 in 1910. The average duration of the stay in hospital of 107 cases,
of which the records are to hand, was 63 8 days, as against 668 in 1910.
Seven 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 7 cases was 17.4 days, as against
22.8 days in 1910. Six cases on discharge from M.A.B. hospitals were
stated to be still suffering from otorrhœa or rhinorrhœa, the same number
as in 1910. So far as is known, none of these cases were the means of
spreading infection after return to their homes. During the year there
was only one instance of a possible "return" case of scarlet fever, the
interval elapsing between the return home from hospital of the infecting
case and the onset of the disease in the secondary case being 2 days.
Diphtheria.—In 1911, 83 cases of diphtheria (including one of
membranous croup) were notified in Chelsea, equivalent to a case-rate of
125 per 10,000 population, as compared with 121 in 1910. In the first
quarter of the year 25 cases were notified, in the second quarter 14, in
the third quarter 21, and in the fourth quarter 23. The percentage of
cases of school-age (3 to 13 years) of the total number in the Borough
was 71, as against 73 in 1910. In North Chelsea 31 cases were
notified, and in South Chelsea 52. The months of greatest prevalence
were March (14 cases) and November (13 cases).
The average duration of stay in nospital of 58 cases, of which the
records are to hand, was 59 days, as against 60 in 1910. Five cases
c