View report page

No deaths were reported from cerebro-spinal meningitis and
only 4 notifications. As usual, none of the latter were found to have
any relation with each other.
There were 6 more notifications of enteric fever than in 1913,
and these are almost all accounted for by the increased number
from South Peckham. In North Peckham, a series of persons in
one family fell victims to the disease, but very careful enquiry
failed to show any apparent connection between them. As usual,
the majority of those attacked were in the age periods 15 to 25 and
25 to 45, and all but 7 were removed to hospital. Although careful
enquiry was made there was no evidence of any infection through
food.
The decrease in the total of diarrhæa deaths did not show itself
in the older population, but was practically confined to the so-called
zymotic enteritis of infants.
Bronchitis caused 318 deaths, compared with 347.
In malignant disease, there is little change from last year,
there being an increase among those between 45 and 65 years, and
a decrease in those above that limit.
The number of puerperal fever notifications exactly doubled
itself, and the increase was largely due to a run of cases which
occurred in the practice of a particular midwife. At one time it
seemed as if a medical man might also have been concerned, but
investigation led one to the conclusion that this was not likely.
Most careful enquiries were made into the precautions taken by the
midwife, who seems to have been quite careful, even a bacteriological
examination was made of her hands. Eventually she was
advised to take a short holiday. This apparently broke the spell,
and there were no more notifications. Notwithstanding the
doubling of the notifications, only one more death than in 1913
was recorded.
The deaths registered as pleurisy pure and simple were 2, half
the number of last year; but one's previous views as to the connection
of this disease with impending manifestations of tubercle of
the lung have been strengthened by the experience of the past year.
More and more has it appeared that phthisis has developed in those
who have suffered from an attack of pleurisy, from which they have
more or less completely recovered before the appearance of symptoms
of the latter disease.
The deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis were 354, being 51
more than 1913, the increase being practically confined to the age
limit of 25 to 65. In view of the special efforts that are made and
the amount of money that is being expended, one might have hoped
for, but not necessarily anticipated, a further diminution in 1914.
The rise from last year was greater in Camberwell than in many of
the other London Boroughs, for according to the Registrar-General,
the death rate for London as a whole rose from 1.30 to 1.39, but for
Camberwell it was 1.42 last year and only 1-15 in 1913. Of these,
176 took place in the Infirmary or in hospitals, &c. In view of