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17
small-pox.
SMALL-POX.*
BOROUGH. London.
1902 1901 1902 1901
Cases 110 22 8814 1706
Deaths 20— 1314 229
†Morbidity 0.73 0.15 1.67 0.38
‡Fatality 18.1 — 16.6 13.4
§Mortality 0.12 — 0.28 0.05
†Cases per 1,000 persons of all ages, ‡Deaths per 100 reported cases. §Deaths per 1,000 persons of all ages.
The prevalence of this disease in the Borough during the past two years was dealt with
at length in the Special Report presented to the Public Health Committee in February of this
year. It will suffice, on this occasion, to state that the cases reported during the year, in the
Borough, were equal to an increase of 587 per cent. of the decennial average, compared with
one of 898 per cent, in the whole Metropolis. The mortality last year was 0.12 per 1,000 as
compared with a mean-rate of 0.00 during the previous decennium. In the Metropolis the
mortality was at the rate of 0.28 and the decennial mean rate 0.01.
†Vaccination.—It appears that in 1901, the last year for which returns are complete,
there were 2,676 infants (out of 3,304 born) successfully vaccinated, and that 313 died unvaccinated;
of the remaining 375, 23 were still unvaccinated owing to medical certificates of
postponement, 34 were exempted by certificate, and 28 had removed to other districts.
During the half-year, January-June 1902, 1,213 vaccinations took place on 1,574 births.
Infants dead unvaccinated numbered 126, postponements, 59 and removals to other districts, 23.
The actual number of certificates of primary vaccination at all ages, received during
1902, was 3,408, or 439 more than in 1901 (3,029) when there was a great increase in
vaccination owing to the fear of an epidemic of small-pox.
The proportion of children escaping vaccination amounted to 9.4 per cent. of the births
in 1901 and 7.0 per cent. of the births in the first half of 1902. In the corresponding period
of 1901 the proportion amounted to 10.7 per cent. In Old Paddington the proportion of
children escaping vaccination averaged 12.3 per cent. per annum during the five years 18961900,
the highest proportion (14.7) being recorded in 1898.
DIPHTHERIA.‡
BOROUGH. London.
1902. 1901. 1902. 1901.
Cases 211 343 10743 12165
Death 32 46 1159 1330
Morbidity 1.41 2.37 2.30 2.68
Fatality 15.1 13.4 10.7 10.9
Mortality 0.21 0.31 0.25 0.29
Although there was a less prevalence of this disease during 1902 (211 cases, compared
with 343 in 1901) the severity of the cases was somewhat greater, the fatality rising from
13.4 per cent. in 1901 to 15.1 last year. It is noteworthy that the fatality of cases
in the whole Metropolis was a little lower in 1902 (10.7 per cent.) than in 1901 (10.9
per cent.) In comparison with the corrected decennial average the cases of diphtheria and
membranous croup notified last year in the Borough showed a decline equal to 32 per cent.,
as compared with one of 15 per cent. in the Metropolis. (See Table 10). The decrease
*Each disease is in this report dealt with under one head, including cases reported, and deaths, in lieu of
pesarately under each head as in former years.
†The latest returns of vaccination have been kindly furnished by the Vaccination Officer. Owing to change
in District the figures for years previous to 1901 are useless for comparison, and have, in consequence, been
omitted.
‡Including cases reported as "Membranous Croup."