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Of the total measles cases notified 89 per cent. were children under
15 years of age, as compared with 76 per cent. in 1917; and of the Rubella
cases, 70 per cent. were under 15 years, as compared with 41 per cent. in
1917. The case mortality of measles for 1918 was 3.1, as against 0.9 in
1917, and 1.2 in 1916, which shows that the disease was more severe in
type than in the two preceding years.
The woman sanitary inspector and the Health Visitor in the course
of the year made 474 visits to homes in connection with measles
and Rubella cases.
In accordance with the arrangement made with the Chelsea Nursing
Association, 561 visits were made by the Association's nurses to 47 families
who had a child or children ill with measles. The average number of
visits per family was 12, as against 14 in 1917, and 13 in 1916. In 1917
only 288 visits were made by nurses to measles cases. Fifty-seven cases
of measles were removed from their homes or from Institutions in the
Borough to M.A.B. hospitals, and 7 cases to the London Fever Hospital.
Seven cases of Rubella were removed to the London Fever Hospital.
During the year 67 cases of Scarlet Fever were notified in Chelsea, as
against 99 in 1917. These were no deaths from the disease: 88 per cent.
of the cases were removed to hospital. January and February were the
months of greatest prevalence, but throughout the rest of the year the
number of cases was very small. The percentage of cases of school age
(3 to 13 years) was 78, as against 77 in 1917.
In 1918, 47 cases of diphtheria were notified in Chelsea, as compared
with 56 in 1917. This disease caused 5 deaths in 1918, the case mortality
being 10.6 per cent., as compared with 5.3 per cent. in 1917; 80 per cent.
of the cases were removed to hospital. The percentage of cases of school
age (3 to 13 years) was 53, as against 66 in 1917.
During the year medical practitioners sent 101 throat swabbings to
the Lister Institute for bacterioscopic diagnosis, as compared with 70 in
1917. Of the 101 specimens, 10 afforded positive evidence of the diphtheria
bacillus, and 91 were negative. Of the total 101 specimens, 65 were sent
by the Victoria Hospital in respect of Chelsea children.
The number of cases of enteric fever notified amongst the civil population
was 4, as against 10 in 1917. Of the four cases, in one the diagnosis was
not confirmed at the M.A.B. Hospital to which the patient was removed.
There were no deaths amongst these 4 cases. No specimens of blood were
examined for the Widal reaction.
The deaths in Chelsea from diarrhœa and enteritis in 1918 were only
11 in number, as against 35 in 1917. Six of the deaths were of infants
under 1 year. The amount of summer diarrhœa was exceedingly small.
Influenza caused 284 deaths in 1918, as against 23 deaths in 1917.
Of these 234 deaths, 11 occurred in the 5 weeks ended the 27th July constituting
the summer outbreak, and 208 occurred in the 12 weeks ended
the 28th December, constituting the autumn outbreak. The ages of these
fatal cases in the two outbreaks were as follows:—
under 15. 15—45. over 45.
Summer outbreak 2 or 18% 3 or 27% 6 or 55%
Autumn „ 42 or 20% 112 or 54% 54 or 26%