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their hospitals persons suffering from whooping cough
who are not paupers, provided they are recommended
for admission by the Medical Officer of Health, and there
is more accommodation available in the hospitals than
is required by pauper patients suffering from whooping
cough. Consequent upon this a circular letter was
addressed to the medical practitioners practising in
Fulham, asking them to acquaint the Medical Officer of
Health with any cases under their care whose removal
they considered desirable.
Although one of the most fatal diseases of early life,
the serious nature of whooping cough is largely underestimated,
and an attack is often regarded with perfect
indifference until some fatal complication ensues. The
high mortality among ill-nourished children, who have
lived under unfavourable conditions, is illustrated in the
Report of the Managers of the Asylums Board, which
shows that in 1911 of 1184 children admitted, all Poor
Law cases. 144 died, a fatality of 12.2 per cent.
Diarrœha.
The deaths from diarrhœa in 1912 numbered 38, or
141 fewer than the decennial average, as owing to the
unseasonable weather there was an entire absence of
summer diarrhœa, only 6 deaths being registered from it
in the summer quarter against 199 in the corresponding
period of 1911.
DEATHS FROM OTHER DISEASES.
Influenza.
Sixteen deaths were certified to be due to influenza,
the numbers for the three preceding years being 22, 25
and 19.
Cancer.
To the various forms of cancer 155 deaths were
referred, 61 of males and 94 of females, representing a
death-rate of 1.0 per 1,000 against a decennial average
of 1.04.