View report page

26
Sutherland Square. In each case the infant department was the
centre of infection. As will be seen by the large number of cases
removed to hospital in 1898, much energy was displayed by the
staff in combating the complaint. The removal in all the cases
took place within a few hours of the notification certificate coming
into our hands. Two spots, one at Lion Buildings and the other at
Guinness's Buildings, Brandon Street, were much affected in
August. In this epidemic of Diphtheria I was astonished to see how
the disease cropped up in different parts of the parish, for although
the particular house was thoroughly disinfected after the speedy
removal of the patient to hospital, and no further case occurred in
the family, yet the disease made its appearance at spots the most
unlikely imaginable, and the patient affected was very often a child
that had not been out of the house for weeks past, nor in contact
with school children.
I believe that this Diphtheria is in a large measure due to the
fouling of the subsoil by sewage during severe rain storms, of which
we have all complained for years past. In fact the commencement
in the increase of Diphtheria appears to coincide with the time at
which complaints were first made of the periodic flooding of
different parts of the parish. I am sure that this matter of flooding
calls for the serious attention of the London County Council, in
regard to the capacity of their sewers.
TYPHOID FEVER.
The number of cases notified during 1898 was 90, as against 79 last
year. The deaths from the complaint were ten this year, and nine
last year.
The annual mortality per 1,000 living was 0.08.