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9
early months of the year, and were for the most part of young children
under two years of age.
Enteric Fever.—Forty-nine cases of this disease were notified
against 33 for the preceding year. The fatal cases were 10. There
is always an increase of notifications from this disease after the
termination of the summer holidays, accounted for in a great measure
by the movement of all classes of people at this period of the year. In
one or two instances there was evidence of the spread of the disease
from one individual to another in the same house, occasioned in all
probability by carelessness in nursing, or by partaking of food which
had been previously tasted by the invalid or kept in the same room.
Diarrhœa was the returned cause of 24 deaths, a dimunition of six
on the preceding year. This disease caused over 4,000 deaths in
London during 1898, which was equal to a rate of 0.97 per 1,000. The
death rate from this cause in Hampstead was 0.32, whilst the rate for
St. George's, Hanover Square, was 0.36, and in Shoreditch ranged as
high as 1.58.
Erysipelas.—The notifications from this disease numbered 41, and
four of these cases terminated fatally. Applications are from time to
time made to me by Medical practitioners to remove cases of erysipelas,
but at present the Asylums Board has no power to receive these cases
into their hospitals. General hospitals will not receive them on account
of the danger of the tendency of this disease to attack surgical cases'
and there is a great objection to remove them to the Infirmary or any
near proximity to lying-in Wards, to which they offer great dangers.
Therefore, these poor people are thrown back on their own resources,
and such relief as can be obtained from the Guardians of the Poor
through the agency of the Relieving Officer.
Notification of Infectious Disease.—The total number of certificates
received was 453, for notifying which the sum of £56 6s. 6d. was paid
to Medical practitioners. This amount is recouped to the Vestry by the
Asylums Board out of the Metropolitan Common Poor Fund. The
total number of cases removed to fever hospitals for treatment was
234.