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15
THF, STRAND DISTRICT, LONDON.
Diphtheria and Membranous Croup.—31 cases (1 case not
being Diphtheria) were notified in St. Anne's with 5 deaths, 24
houses were attacked and 25 families; 1 case occurred in a
hospital outside the district, in which the patient was being
treated for phthisis; 6 cases were notified in 5 families in 5
houses in the Strand Sub-District, with 1 death. In several
instances, cases of Scarlet Fever had occurred in members of the
same family, so that possibly some of the cases may have been
preceded by an unrecognised attack of Scarlet Fever. In St.
Anne's the cases were spread over the whole year, but in the
Strand, they were confined to March, June, and July.
Mr. Cribb, the bacteriologist appointed by your Board, reports
that during the year 1899 he has examined 9 specimens taken
from the throats of persons suspected of suffering from Diphtheria,
or desirous of knowing that they were free from infection after
having been exposed thereto.
In two instances the result was doubtful, and on a second
trial one case proved to be Diphtheria, the other not. In the
remaining cases, the Diphtheria organism was not found. It is
desirable where Diptheria occurs in a tenement house, that the
persons living therein, especially the children, should be carefully
examined, with a view to discover if any have been infected, so
that prompt measures may be taken for isolation, and for
treatment. The experience gained from the use of Antitoxin
shows that the best results are obtained by early treatment.
Enteric Fever.—6 cases were notified in St. Anne's parish
(with 1 death), in the months of August (2), October (2), and
November (2). Six cases also were notified in the Strand SubDistrict,
in the months of January (1), April (1), June (2),
September (1), and October (1).
The number of cases of this disease notified in London as a
whole, largely exceeded that of any previous year since
notification was introduced. This increase is doubtless ascribable