View report page

SCARLET FEVER. 10
In addition to the comparisons instituted in Table 10—where the numbers all show
considerable falls below the decennial averages—the appended statement will be of interest,
as it compares last year's figures with the quinquennial means, and shows that the increase
in prevalence last year was not general in the Metropolis, and was of a very slight character.

The increase was limited to the late spring and early summer, and more particularly to
the third quarter of the year—the cases reported, in the whole Borough, having been 56 in
the first quarter (decennial average 79); 86 in the second (decennial average 38); 160 in the
third (decennial average 74), and 112 in the fourth (decennial average 159). In the adjoining
districts increased prevalence of this disease occurred in St. Marylebone (414 cases
were reported in each year, but 1902 contained 53 weeks) and Willesden (474 cases in 1902,
501 in 1903). There is reason to believe that the increase in the Borough was to some
extent due to the prevalence in Willesden. This view is supported by the Chart facing
this which shows that the rise in the Willesden weekly returns* preceded that in
the Borough, where the earliest increase took place in the neighbourhoods of "Oueen's
Park" and "St. Peter's Park" Estates. The cases in Oueen's Park Ward (63) and in
Church Ward (92) showed the greatest increases in comparison with 1902. (See Table 9).
The appended statement of street distribution contains all streets in which three or more
cases occurred during the year.
scarlet fever.

* The carve in each case has been constructed by plotting the average of the rates for three consecutive weeks
as the rate for the central week.