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80
It will thus be seen from this table that for the period 1905 to 1913
the percentage of children vaccinated has declined from 83.1 to 62.7,
this being equivalent to a decrease of 24 per cent. The number of
unvaccinated persons must be therefore rapidly increasing, and during
the past few years have added a not inconsiderable number to the
unvaccinated population, the presence of whom is a factor of which
public health administrators must never lose sight.
Diphtheria and Membranous Croup.
The number of cases notified in 1914 was 224, as compared with
116 in 1913, the attack-rate, or number of cases notified per 1000
population being 2.58, as compared with the rate of 1.34 in the previous
year. The number of the notified cases proving fatal was 8, or 3.6 per
cent. of the cases notified, as against 2.6 per cent. in 1913. The deathrate
per 1000 population, calculated on the total deaths of notified and
un-notified cases, which numbered 11, was 0.13 ; 200 patients, or 88 per
cent. of the total cases notified, were removed to hospital.
During the early part of the year an outbreak of Diphtheria
occurred at the Royal Soldiers' Daughters' Home, Rosslyn Hill. This
institution, which contained 160 girls and approximately 25 staff, had
been remarkably free from infectious disease prior to 20th November,
1913. On that date a case of scarlet fever occurred and was removed,
and the usual disinfection was carried out. No other cases of that
disease occurred. The usual inspection following infectious disease
was made by the lady sanitary inspector, and as a result I personally
visited this Home and drew up a schedule of works that I deemed would
be necessary to perfect its sanitary condition. The general hygiene of
the Home was not satisfactory; it was a large roomy building with
grounds, and there was no question of overcrowding, but the buildings
were old-fashioned and had undergone deterioration through age. To
carry out the list of recommendations which I submitted to the
Committee of the Home considerable structural alterations were
required.
While this was under consideration, diphtheria began to appear,
the first case being notified on November 30th. On December 4th a
second case was reported, and during the remainder of that month 4
other cases occurred. In January, 1914, three cases were reported,
and 11 in February.