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78
toms, before even a diagnosis can be made, removal to
hospital does not afford much promise of effect towards
limiting the spread of infection.
That there is need of some new procedure to check
mortality from this cause is apparent when the import
of last year's mortality is considered. As already
mentioned, there were 103 deaths attributed directly to
measles during the year. The experience of Edinburgh,
where notification of measles has been in force
for some years, makes the average fatality to be about
5 per cent of attacks, and on such a fatality the 103
deaths would indicate 2,060 cases. There remains,
moreover, the mortality from this disease which has
been classified under other headings, such as bronchitis,
&c. Of this no estimate can be formed, and some
account must be taken of the children who do not die,
but recover more or less damaged in constitution for
the remainder of their lives.
Scarlet fever.—The 22 deaths from this disease
recorded in the year were equivalent to a rate of 0.17
per 1,000 persons, the deaths being 6 in excess of the
decennial average (16), and the death-rate 0.04 above
the mean rate. Eighteen of the deceased persons were
residents in North Paddington, equal to a mortality of
0.19 per 1,000, and four, of South Paddington,
mortality 0.11. Last year's total from this cause was
exceeded in 1887, when the deaths numbered 35
(death-rate, 0.3l), and in 1893, 30 deaths (death-rate,
0.24).