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18
Section II.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Small-pox.—There were no cases of small-pox in Chelsea in 1914. In
London, during 1914, only 3 cases of the disease were notified, as compared
with 5 in 1913, 6 in 1912, and 73 in 1911. Of the 3 cases 1 was in Westminster,
1 in the City, and 1 in the Port of London. There was not a
case notified in London after the third week of February, 1914.
Scarlet Fever.—In 1914, 281 cases of scarlet fever were notified in Chelsea,
equivalent to a case-rate of 41.7 per 10,000 of the population, as against
30 in 1913. The number of cases notified in the first quarter of the year
was 67, in the second quarter 49, in the third quarter 96, and in the fourth
quarter 69. The increased prevalence of scarlet fever in Chelsea, as in
London, commenced in June 1913. There was some diminution in Chelsea
in 1914, from February to May inclusive, but the prevalence increased again
in June, and remained at a high level until the end of September. In
October and November there was some decline, but in December there was
again an increase. There was little or no intermission in August, during
the school holidays, but, owing to the war, the schools re-opened two weeks
before the usual date. The disease was widely spread throughout the
Borough, there being no special school incidence attaching to any school
or schools in the Borough. The disease was of very mild type, only 4 deaths
from scarlet fever being registered throughout the entire year, which gives
a case mortality of only 1.4 per cent.
The percentage of cases of school age (3 to 13 years) of the total number
notified in the Borough was 76, the same as in 1913. The average duration
of the stay in hospital of 238 cases, of which the records are to hand, was
58.7 days, as against 55.4 days in 1913. Only 4 cases admitted to M.A.B.
hospitals were subsequently certified by the Medical Superintendents of
the hospitals not to be suffering from scarlet fever or any other notifiable
disease. The average duration of stay in hospital of 3 of these cases was
30 days. Three cases on discharge from hospital were stated to be still
suffering from otorrhæa, and 3 from rhinorrhæa. There were 3 "return"
cases of scarlet fever in 1914, the intervals elapsing between the return home
of the infecting cases and the onset of illness in the "return" cases being
4 days, 4 days, and 7 days in these 3 cases. There was some delay in the
removal of cases to M.A.B. hospitals in the latter part of the year, but all
cases for whom applications were made were eventually removed after
delays of 1 to 3 or 4 days. During the year 90 per cent. of the cases notified
were removed to hospital, as compared with 91 per cent. in 1913.
Diphtheria.—In 1914, 76 cases of diphtheria were notified in Chelsea,
equivalent to a case-rate of 11.3 per 10,000 of population, as compared with
8.9 in 1913. In the first quarter of the year 24 cases were notified, in the
second quarter 14, in the third quarter 20, and in the fourth quarter 18.