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50
Scarlet Fever.
Average of
1915 previous
10 years.
Number of cases 440 570
„ deaths . 9 8
Death rate per 1,000 in Deptford 0.08 0.07
442 notifications were received during the year 1915, relating to
440 cases. Of these, 31 cases were errors in diagnosis or cases which
occurred in hospital, thus reducing the net number of cases to 409.
The number of cases for 1915 was much less than in the previous
year. During the previous three years 866, 639 and 406 cases were
notified respectively.
The deaths were 9, compared with 9, 3 and 6 in the three preceding
years.
The death-rate was 0.08 per 1,000, and for the three preceding
years 0.08, 0.03 and 0.05 respectively. The rate for London was 0.07.
During the first quarter of the year 136 cases were notified, during
the second quarter 81, the third quarter 96, and during the last quarter
there were 127.
Over 90 per cent, of these cases were removed to hospital, and
previous records show that the percentage of deaths is much lower if
the patient is treated in hospital than if nursed at home.
Prevention of Scarlet Fever.
The procedure of the Health Department for the prevention of
the spread of scarlet fever in the borough has consisted of systematic
weekly visits by the Sanitary Inspector to the houses where cases were
isolated at home. Reports were made on the receipt of each notification
to the Medical Officer of Health, as to the milk, the water supply, sanitary
arrangements, drainage, school or department attended by the patient
and the rest of the family, general state of the house and out-buildings,
the number of persons in the house, and the means of isolation. Notices
were sent to the school where children attended from infected homes,
requiring exclusion of these children from school, until the house was
cleansed and disinfected to the satisfaction of the Medical Officer of
Health after recovery or removal of the patient. Where cases were
removed tc hospital, the usual routine followed was fumigation, the
removal of infected bedding and clothing to the borough steam disinfector,
and, where necessary, the stripping and limewashing of the
infected house or parts thereof on the certificate of the Medical Officer
of Health,