View report page

46
When the matter of immunisation against diphtheria is discussed attention
is concentrated on the immunisation of school children abroad. This is
unfortunate. In last year's report it was shown that in London 52'6 per cent,
of the deaths from diphtheria in the three years 1919-1921 occurred in
children under five years; immunisation should not be delayed until the child is
of school age.
Scarlet Fever.
All the 102 cases of scarlet fever were removed to hospital. Fourteen cases
were returned from hospital "not scarlet fever."
In connection with 4 of the cases during the year there were 5 secondary
cases. Three of these were notified either at the same time or within a few days
of the primary case. These secondary cases are exclusive of five nurses at a
hospital in the Borough who were notified as suffering with scarlet fever; from
the same hospital 23 in-patients were notified as suffering with the disease; none
of these in-patients were residents of Holborn. There was one "return" case,
i.e., a case of scarlet fever occurring within 28 days of the return from hospital to
the same house of a previous case of scarlet fever. The "return" case was
notified 11 days after the return home of the primary case.
Return cases occur when patients are treated at home and in much the same
proportion.
There were three deaths from scarlet fever.
10,082 cases of scarlet fever were notified in London with 112 deaths.
Enteric Fever.
Two cases were notified during the year.
Both cases arose outside the Borough; the first was a visitor from a
provincial town and the second was a child passing through London travelling
with her parents from Poland to America.
335 cases were notified in London, with 39 deaths.
Typhus Fever.
No case of typhus fever was notified during the year, either in the Borough
or in London.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever.
One notification of a case of cerebro-spinal fever was notified. The child was
an in-patient in a general hospital and died shortly after notification.
63 cases were notified in London, with 57 deaths.
Dysentery.
No case of dysentery was notified.
22 cases were notified in London,