View report page

79
In London the death-rate from scarlet fever was
0.21 per 1,000 persons, or 0.03 below the decennial
mean rate. The rate for England and Wales (0.18)
showed the same reduction.
The fatality of the disease during the year was
2.7 per cent, of the cases notified (790), 7.4 among
children under five years of age and 1.1 among patients
at ages exceeding 5 years. The fatality in 1895 was 3.3
per cent., and 5.0 in 1894. Of the patients aged 0-5
years,the fatality was 7.8 per cent.among those removed
to hospital, and 16.6 among those treated at home; of
the patients aged 5 years and upwards, the fatality at
home amounted to 2.9 per cent., and 0.6 per cent, in
hospital.
Diphtheria.— The 67 deaths from this disease
during 1696 were 16 in excess of the decennial average,
while the death-rate from this cause (0.52) was 0 12
above the mean rate. In 1888, 75 deaths were
recorded (death-rate 0.65), in 1893, 69 (death-rate
0.57), and in 1894, 92 (death-rate 0.75). Last year's
records were fourth in order of magnitude during the
eleven years, 1886-96.
During the quinquennium 1886-90, the deaths in
Paddington from this cause averaged (after correcting
for the increase in population) 46, and the death-rate
0.37, whilst in the quinquennium 1891-95, the average
annual number of deaths was 55.7 (56) and the mean
death-rate 0.44. Last year's death-rate showed an