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5
Scarlet Fever.
There were 355 notifications of this disease received
during 1897, with 9 deaths, as compared with 449 notifications
and 11 deaths in 1896. The cases were pretty evenly
distributed over the whole District—
Lewisham 154 notifications
Sydenham 140 „
Penge 45 „
Blackheath 16 ,,
Of these cases 101 were removed to hospitals.
Diphtheria.
There were 240 notifications of this disease, with 43
deaths, in 1897, as compared with 360 notifications and 82
deaths in 1896. The ca«es were distributed as follows: —
Lewisham, 128; Sydenham, 91; Penge, 17; Blackheath, 4.
A large number of the cases in Lewisham occurred in the
early part of the year, and were part of the epidemic of
diphtheria which occurred in the later months of 1896. It
is interesting to note that there have been hardly any cases
of diphtheria during the rest of the year in the portion of
Lewisham which was attacked bv the epidemic in 1896.
This is, I believe, owing to the fact that a house to house
inspection was made and the drains put in order throughout
this portion of the District. I had occasion to order the
fumigation of two Board Schools in the District during
1897. This was done with the consent of Dr. Smith, the
Medical Officer of the School Board, and in each case there
were no fresh cases of diphtheria notified af er the fumigation
had taken place. There has not been so much difficulty
in getting cases moved to hospital as in the previous year,
and I believe this accounts in some measure for the comparatively
small number of cases. Home nursing of' bad
cases of diphtheria, among the poor, almost invariably leads
to a spread of the disease. There were 58 cases removed to
hospital during 1897; and though at first sight this does
not seem a large number, the fact must be taken into