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cases, the diagnosis of enteric fever was probably incorrect. There were,
therefore, only 8 cases of enteric fever out of the 28 notified, in which it seems
probable that the infection was contracted within the Borough. Of these
8 cases one proved fatal. Seven of the cases were removed to 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.
Three gave positive results and one a negative result.
Typhus.—A case of typhus was notified early in November, from No.
2 General Military Hospital. The patient was a Belgian soldier, who had
been fighting in Flanders. He was removed to a M.A.B. hospital, and nearly
3 weeks later was notified by the Medical Superintendent as suffering from
enteric fever and not from typhus.
Venereal Diseases.—One sample of blood was sent by a medical practitioner
to the Lister Institute for the Wasserman reaction for syphilis, the
result being negative. A specimen was also sent for determination of
gonococci, but none were found.
Cerebrospinal Fever.—One case of this disease was notified from St.
George's Hospital in October, the patient being a man of 26 years. No
information was obtainable about this case. A death occurred at St.
George's Hospital in October from cerebro-spinal meningitis and acute
hydrocephalus. The patient was a female child, aged 2 years. She was
a patient in the hospital in January, 1914, suffering from cerebro-spinal
fever. The meningococcus was isolated, and serum was given, resulting
in recovery and discharge from hospital, but the foramina subsequently
became blocked setting up acute hydrocephalus. The case was never
notified.
In London, during the year 1914, 75 cases of cerebro-spinal fever were
notified, as against 91 in 1913. Forty-six of the cases were notified in the
first two quarters of the year, and 29 in the last two quarters. Twentythree
deaths were registered in London as due to this disease during the
year, whereas only 5 were so registered during 1913. Either the casemortality
was very high last year (30.7 per cent.), and the type very severe,
or else a considerable number of cases were not notified. The average
case-mortality in London for 1910-13 was only 6.5 per cent., and if this
proportion held good for 1914, 354 cases should have been notified instead
of 75.
Acute Foliomystitis.—No cases of this disease were notified in Chelsea
in 1914. In 1913, 3 cases were notified.
In London 97 cases were notified during the year, namely, 10 in the
first quarter, 5 in the second quarter, 51 in the third quarter, and 31 in the
fourth quarter, so that 82, or 85 per cent. of the total cases occurred in the
second half of the year. In 1913, 80 per cent. of the cases occurred in the
second half of the year. These figures are of some interest as bearing upon
the alleged transmission of the virus of the disease by the biting stable-fly
(Stomoxys Cahitraus).