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Hospital Treatment.—Children's cases are referred from the centres to the
dispensary and hospitals, and the Queen Charlotte's Lying-in and Middlesex
Hospitals are available for ante-natal and complicated maternity cases."
During the year the Health Society, through a special Committee upon which
the Borough Council was strongly represented and of which the Medical Officer of
Health was Chairman, purchased and fitted up a house at 20, Marlborough Place,
N.W., as a Nursing Home for wasting babies. This was opened on March 22nd
and between that date and the end of the year 53 babies were treated; of this
number 44 were discharged cured, 6 were transferred to Children's Hospitals and 3
died. The Council make a grant of £500 per annum towards the cost of running
the Home which has proved of immense value in connection with the Scheme.
DEATHS IN RELATION TO DISEASE.
Diarrheal Diseases.—The total number of deaths registered as due to diarrhoea
and enteritis (inflammation of the bowels) was 35, equal to 0.35 per 1,000 of the
population.
The majority of the deaths, viz., 28, occurred amongst infants under 1 year of
age. In 1917 the number of deaths was 27, and the rate 0.29 per 1,000.
Tuberculosis.—The total deaths caused by phthisis (consumption) and other
conditions due to the germ of tuberculosis was 190. Of these, 167 were due to
phthisis; the age periods at which they occurred being 1-2 years, 1 (0.6 per cent.) ;
5-15, 6 (3.5 per cent.) ; 15-25, 15 (9.0 per cent.) ; 25-45, 70 (41.8 per cent.) ;
45-65, 62 (37'1 per cent.) ; 65 and over, 13 (7.7 per cent.).
Respiratory Diseases.—The number of deaths due to bronchitis, pneumonia
and other diseases of the organs of respiration was 406, and the death rate 4.10 per
1,000. Of this number, bronchitis caused 191 and pneumonia 177.
Cancer or Malignant Disease caused 143 deaths, the death-rate being 1.4 per
1,000 of the population.
INFECTIOUS OR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.
The table with regard to these diseases will be found on page 22. The total
number of notifications received during 1918 was 1,567, the actual number of cases
notified being 1,530, the bulk being measles and German measles.
Diphtheria and Membranous Croup.—The number of cases notified was 157, of
whom 150 were removed to hospital and 11 died. The case mortality rate was
7'0 per cent. The cases were not limited to any particular district. The number of
swabs submitted from doubtful cases for bacteriological examination was 151 and
a positive result was returned in 58 instances.
Scarlet Fever.—The notifications numbered 80, the lowest figure for some
years. The disease was of a mild type and there were no deaths.
Enteric Fever.—There were 9 cases notified, none of which calls for special
comment. There were 2 deaths.
Cerebro-Spinal (Spotted) Fever.—The notifications received numbered 4. Of
the cases 2 proved fatal.