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The death-rate from this disease was 029 per
1,000 in England, 0 23 in Rural England (" Rest of
England and Wales"), 0.25 in the 67 Large Towns,
and 0.38 in the " 33 Great Towns," thus showing
an increase which apparently follows the density of
population. (See Table 23.)
The cases of diphtheria notified numbered 242, and
the deaths registered 67, giving a fatality of 27.6 per
cent. Half the patients were treated at home, and the
fatality among them was 27.2, as against one of 27.6
among hospital cases. Of patients under five years of
age, the fatality at home was 56, and in hospital 39.0
per cent. ; and of patients aged five years and upwards,
the home fatality was 7.0, and the hospital, 15.7 per
cent. The fatality was on the whole greater in 1896
than in either of the two preceding years.
Whooping-cough.—The deaths from whoopingcough
numbered 47, 3 less than the corrected decennial
average, the death-rate from this cause, 0.37, being
0.03 below the mean rate. Last year's rate in
Paddington was below all the rates mentioned in Table
23, except that for " Rest of England and Wales."
Of the 47 deaths, 44 were registered in North
Paddington and 3 in South, giving rates of 0.47 and
0.08 per 1,000 respectively.
Enteric fever. — The 14 deaths from this disease,
equivalent to a rate of 0.11 per 1,000, were 2 below
the decennial average 15.5 (16), whilst the rate was