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is free from infection, therefore the difficulties of discharge of such
cases from scarlet fever hospitals into homes where there are other
susceptible children can be realised, especially as any eczematous condition
of the mouth, nostril, or ear is known to be highly infective. In
some cases a patient may be released who has escaped any of the abovenamed
complications in six weeks, whereas another may have to be
isolated for prolonged periods, for any one or more of these reasons,
and released even then with some risk lest a "return" case be the result.
Diphtheria and Membranous Croup.
1915 Average for
previous 10 years
Number of Cases 201 206
Number of Deaths 10 0.09
Death rate per 1,000 in Deptford 0.09 0.14
These two diseases are grouped together, as they are symptomatic
of each other and the terms are regarded as synonymous. This
method is also adopted by the Registrar-General, and therefore allows
of comparison. The total number of notifications received was 201,
relating to 201 cases. Of the number notified, 14 were errors of
diagnosis and hospital cases, reducing the number of cases to 187
compared with 224, 222, and 165 for the previous three years.
Ten deaths were registered during the year, as compared with
25, 20 and 11, for the three previous years.
The rate of mortality was 0'09 per 1,000, and for the three previous
years 0.23, 0.18 and 0.10, respectively. The rate for London was 0.15.
The cases were distributed in the various Wards as follows:—
East 32, North 43, North-West 54, South 19, South-East 24, and
South-West 29. On reference to the chart it will be seen that the
disease was most prevalent during the months of October and
November.
It will be seen on the age table that the largest number of attacks
occurred between the ages 5—15.
When the patient is treated at home, no other child from the same
house is allowed to attend school while the patient is infectious, nor
until two weeks after the premises are disinfected.
The examination of the throats of diphtheria contacts whenever
practicable, by bacteriological means, is a most important aid to