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DIPHTHERIA.
17
DIPHTHERIA.
(Including Membranous Croup.)
Borough.
London.
1904.
1903.
1904.
1903.
Cases notified ...
140
145
7,227
7,749
Deaths ...
19
15
723
740
Morbidity ...
0.95
0.98
1.55
1.67
Fatality ...
13.7
10.3
10.0
9.9
Mortality ...
0.13
0.10
0.15
0.16
The notifications of this disease numbered 343 in 1001, fell to 211 in 1902, to 145 in 1903,
and to 140 last year, the lowest number since 1890, the first year of complete notification. The
reduction from 145 in 1903 to 140 in 1904 was equal to 3.5 per cent. of the cases in the former
year, the corresponding figure for the Metropolis being 6.8 per cent. On the other hand the
morbidity in the Borough last year was at the rate of 0.95 per 1,000 persons, as against a
rate of 1.55 for the Metropolis.
The cases reported last year in the Borough were less than half the corrected decennial
average (299), the greatest proportional diminution having taken place in North-West
Paddington Sub-District (17 cases in 1904, decennial average 57). The complete comparison
is given below.
Diphtheria : Notifications.
(Including Membranous Croup.)
Averages (corrected and adjusted).
Five years.
Five years.
ears.
1904.
1894-98.
18S9-1903.
1894-1903.
London
7,227
12,905
11,475
12,194
Borough
140
365
239
299
St. Mary
103
271
153
209
St. John
20
39
28
33
North-West Paddington 17
55
58
57
In the Borough as a whole and in the Registration Sub-Districts the cases in each quarter
of the year were with one exception below the corresponding averages (uncorrected), the
reduction in numbers being striking in most cases. In St. John Sub-District (fourth quarter
of year) the cases were one above the average. (See below.)
Quarters. 1 2 3 4
Borough 26 (62) 26 (72) 40 (69) 48 (88)
St. Mary 15 (42) 24 (48) 31 (48) 33 (61)
St. John 7 (8) 1 (10) 3 (7) 9 (8)
North-West Paddington 4 (12) 1 (14) 6 (14) 6 (19)
Uncorrected decennial averages thus:- (62).
The numbers of cases reported from each Ward during the last two years will be found
in Table 10. Church and Lancaster Gate (West) Wards were the only two in which the
notifications received last year were in excess of the returns for 1903. The numbers and rates
recorded in the Adjacent Districts will be found in Tables 8 and 9. Lower rates were
recorded in Westminister (0.83), Marylebone (0.90) and Hampstead (0.66). The rate recorded
in Willesden (2.64) was comparatively high and showed the smallest reduction from the mean
rate for the three years 1901-3 (2.91).
The notifications received related to cases in 121 houses, distributed thus:—
1904.
1903
Houses with one case each
109
119
„ „ two cases
6
8
„ „ three „
5
9
„ ” four „
1
1