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14
I would repeat the recommendation made in my last report,
that this important means of preventing Diphtheria should be
taken in Plumstead. The first requisite for preventing a
disease, is the taking of measures for recognizing it when it
occurs; and bacteriological examination is the only way of
recognizing this disease in many cases.
Enteric Fever.
37. There were 25 cases of Enteric Fever, compared with
22, 29, 26, 214, and 29 in the five preceding years. There were
3 deaths, the lowest number since 1892. 12 cases went to
Hospital, 2 died there.
Table IV. shews the number in each ward, from which it
appears that most cases occurred in the East and South
wards. This was the same last year.
38. In four cases, the disease appeared to have been contracted
at places outside Plumstead, namely, Earle's Colne,
Maidstone, Bayswater, and Sandgate. One case was the
nurse of a previous one.
39. 14 cases were males, and 11 females; 4 were under 10,
7 from 10 to 20, and 14 over 20 years of age.
40. One patient was a greengrocer, and one had eaten some
whelks eight days before the illness began. In 7 cases there
were serious sanitary defects in the patient's house, and in
other cases minor defects. One man worked on a house refuse
tip.
41. There were 0.4 cases per 1000 population. In London
there were 0.7, or nearly twice as many in proportion to
population.