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36
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES.
Under the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
the Tuberculosis Regulations, and the Deptford (Measles) Regulations,
1922, 1,456 cases of infectious diseases were notified, as compared
with 2,578 in 1926. In a table on another page will be found a list of
cases notified, and their distribution in the several Wards.
To the seven principal epidemic diseases, viz.:—Small-pox, Measles,
Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Enteric Fever and
Infantile Diarrhoea, 37 deaths were ascribed, and the death-rate was
0.33 per 1,000 against 0.67 in the preceding year. On another page
will be found a table indicating the number of deaths and death-rates
from these diseases during the past ten years.
Small-Pox.
No person was notified as suffering from Small-pox during the year.

400 persons were notified as suffering from this disease during the
year under report as compared with a total of 399 for the previous year.
Included in this total are eight patients who, after removal to hospital,
were certified to be not suffering from the disease in question; also 3
cases which occurred amongst the staff of the South-Eastern Hospital.
There were 2 dsaths as compared with 1, 3 and 2 in the three
preceding years, giving a death-rate of 0.02 per 1,000 population, as
compared with 0.01 for England and Wales, and 0.01 for the County
of London.
With only two deaths to record out of 400 cases, it might be said
that Scarlet Fever is becoming almost a respectable disease. It would,
however, be risky to lull oneself into a sense of false security, as the
disease remains an infectious disease, and further, the possibilities of
permanent damage to the kidneys should not be overlooked.
No use was made of the Dick test in the Borough.