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19
Of the 7 cases notified, two were mistaken diagnoses. Of the
remaining five, in three cases the infection must have been contracted
outside the Borough. There were, therefore, only 2 cases in which it
seems probable that the infectiou was contracted within the Borough.
One of these cases proved fatal, and the other was discharged after
47 days in hospital.
Four specimens of blood from supposed enterics were sent to the
Lister Institute in the course of the year for determining the Widal
reaction. Two gave positive results—-one being only a partial agglutination
(viz., 1 in 25, not 1 in 100 dilution), and 2 gave negative results.
Removals to Hospital.—During the year 1913, 91 per cent, of the
scarlet fever cases were removed to hospital, as against 90 per cent, in
1912; 81 per cent, of the diphtheria cases were removed, as against 90
per cent, in 1912; and 86 per cent, of the enteric fever cases were
removed, as against 90 per cent, in 1912.
Case Mortality.—In 1913, the case mortality, or percentage of deaths
to notifications, in the case of scarlet fever was 1.5, as against 1.6 in
1912 ; in the case of diphtheria, 1.7, as against 4.5 in 1912 ; and in the
case of enteric fever, 14.3, as against 10.0 in 1912.
Cerebrospinal Fever.—No cases of this disease were notified in
Chelsea in 1913. In London, during the year 1913, 91 cases were
notified, as against 103 in 1912. Five deaths were registered in London
as due to this disease during the year, the case-mortality being 5.5 per
cent., as compared with 4.0 per cent, in 1912, 7.8 in 1911, 8.7 in 1910,
and 13.6 in 1909.
Acute Poliomyelitis.—Three cases of this disease were notified in
Chelsea in 1913—one in September, one in October, and one in
November. The first patient was a girl of 3 years, who was taken into
St. George's Hospital. She was discharged almost completely recovered,
no permanent paralysis being expected. The second patient was a female
infant, one year of age, who was removed to the Victoria Hospital for
Children. When discharged there was still some paralysis of both legs.
The third patient was a boy of 4 years, who was treated at home. He
recovered, but with paralysis of the right arm and forearm. Nothing was
ascertained as to any probable source of infection in any of these cases,
and there was no antecedent illness amongst inmates of the homes
occupied by the patients.
In London 145 cases were notified during the year—namely, 10 in
the first quarter, 22 in the second, 62 in the third, and 51 in the fourth
quarter. The majority of the cerebro-spinal fever cases in London were
notified in the first half of the year— namely, 61—and only 30 in the
second half, so that these two diseases appear in London to have prevalences
at opposite seasons of the year.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—In London during 1913, 627 cases were
notified, as compared with 699 in 1912, and 680 in 1911 from the
11th March to the end of that year. Fourteen cases were notified in