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68
Diphtheria.
There were 355 cases of diphtheria notified during
the year. The age grouping of the cases is given in
the accompanying table. All but 4 of the cases were
removed to an isolation hospital.
Seventeen deaths from this disease occurred during
the year, equivalent to a case mortality of 4-8 per
cent., or general death rate of 016 per 1,000 of the
population. The figures represent a set-back in the
Borough's experience of a falling mortality from diphtheria,
the average case mortality being 26 and death
rate being 0.1 during the previous 5 years.
Anti - diphtheritic serum is stocked at the Town
Hall and supplied free on the order of a doctor; 104,000
units were supplied during the year.
Scarlet Fever.
There were 590 cases of scarlet fever notified during
the year, 575 of the patients being removed to an
isolation hospital. The disease is still of a mild
character.
I understand that the Dick test has been used in
the Queen's Hospital for the purpose of diagnosis and
serum for immunisation or therapeutic purposes, in
order to prevent the spread of scarlet fever in the
hospital.
Three deaths were returned by the RegistrarGeneral
as due to scarlet fever during the year, equal
to a case mortality of 0.5 per cent., and a death rate
of 0.03 per 1,000 population.
Mild Smallpox.
Twenty-five cases of mild Smallpox occurred in the
Borough during the year.
The present outbreak of Smallpox began in March,
1929, and there were 263 cases that year,