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17
diphtheria.
Of the 96 cases reported, 16 were certainly erroneously diagnosed, and 7 others probably
so. Fourteen cases of erroneous diagnosis were removed to hospital. Imported infection
appeared to have occurred in 5 cases. Two cases were reported in patients in hospital for
other diseases. One case was a relapse. This patient returned from hospital on May 18th,
and was found to be infectious on June 12th. In the meantime the patient's brother was
taken ill (on June 7th) and removed to hospital (June 8th). Three cases were the same
patients' second attacks of the disease. In one case only did death precede notification.
Of the 96 cases, 86 were removed to hospital, equal to 89.5 per cent. of all cases, the
highest proportion since 1901. (See Table 15.)
The deaths recorded during the year numbered 3, as compared with 19 and 15 in the
two preceding years. The fatality for the year was equal to 3.1 per cent. of all notifications,
and 3.7 per cent. after deducting the known cases (16) of erroneous diagnosis. No death
occurred among the 10 cases treated at home. The fatalitv among patients removed to
hospital was only 4T per cent., one-third the rate for 1904 (12.2 per cent.).
The mortality per 1,000 persons of all ages was 0.02, compared with a decennial mean
rate of 0.33, a very striking difference. A complete comparison of last year's rates for the
Borough and the Registration Sub-Districts, with the corresponding mean rates, is given
below:—

Comparing the rate for the Borough with those for the Metropolis and the Adjacent
Districts (Table 12), it will be seen that so low a rate as that for the Borough (0.02) was
recorded in Westminster only. The reduction from the four years' mean was greatest in
the Borough (0.20), that for Westminster (0.08) being the smallest.
It seemed desirable to ascertain what differences the variations in the sex—age constitutions
of the populations would have on the comparison of mortality. For this purpose "correction
factors" have been calculated in the usual manner, the mean annual mortality for age-groups
of each sex in London during the ten years 1891-1900 being taken as a standard.
The "standard rates" for such of the Districts included in Table 16 as form the Western
Boroughs of the Metropolis are very nearly equal, that for Paddington (0.39) being the
highest and that for Westminster (0.32) the lowest. The standard rate for Willesden (0.56)
is above that for London (0.50). The changes in the rates by the use of the correction
factors are not marked, but the Borough rate now stands alone at the bottom of the list.
The Willesden rate for last year (0.08) shows the greatest difference (0.48) from the standard
rate, that for Paddington coming next with a fall of 0.37.