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18 septic diseases.
Twenty-five of the patients, equal to 78*1 per cent, of the whole, were removed to
hospital—an increase of nearly 5 per cent, above the average. (Table 14.) The deaths
attributed to enteric fever numbered 4, but in one instance it was practically certain that
the death had been attributed to the wrong cause. The diagnosis was arrived at in the
absence of any evidence, even after post-mortem examination, of any definite disease, while
the clinical indications pointed to enteric fever. The death was the first of the four cases in
Lancaster Gate, West, Ward, all the subsequent cases being definitely diagnosed as not
enteric fever, but some obscure form of septic (?) poisoning. The three remaining deaths
give a fatality of 19*7 per cent, of cases removed to hospital, which is nearly 8 per cent,
above the mean, and of 13'0 per cent, of all cases (errors excluded). (Table 14.)
The mortality last year was 0*02 per 1,000 persons, half the mean (0*04), and lower than
any of the rates given in Table 10, except that of Kensington (0*02). The fully corrected
rates are given in Table 15, and may be described as equally satisfactory.
SEPTIC DISEASES.
Puerperal Fever.—The cases of this disease reported during the year were the same in
number as in 1907, viz., C. The morbidity rate per 1,000 persons was 0*03 last year, the
mean rate for 1903-07 being 0*05, showing a fair reduction in prevalence. In Westminster
last year's rate was equal to that recorded in the Borough, the rates for all other districts
(Table 5) being higher.
Puerperal fever being a disease which occurs only in connection with child-birth, more
reliable information as to its prevalence is obtained by calculating rates on the numbers of
births and of women of fecund ages (15 to 45 years). Such rates are given in Table 16, from
which it appears that the local rate of last year was equal to 0T8 per 100 births, the same
as that for the Metropolis, but lower than those for the adjacent districts except Willesden,
where the rate was 0*17. Last year's rates exceeded the means in Kensington, Marylebone
and Hampstead.
Two deaths were assigned to this disease in the Borough during the year, giving a
fatality of 33*3 per cent, of the recorded cases, the mean fatality for the preceding five years
being 57T. (Table 16.) The fatality was lower in Paddington than in any other district.
The rates for last year were in excess of the respective means in Marylebone and Hampstead.
Mortality in Childbed.—This is measured by the total number of deaths (12) from
puerperal fever (2 deaths) and accidents and diseases of pregnancy (10 deaths), equal to a
mortality of 0*21 per 1,000 women of fecund ages, and differing by 0*01 only from the
quinquennial mean rate (0*22). Higher rates were recorded last year in Hampstead (0*36)
and Willesden (0*27). Calculating the mortality per 1,000 births registered during the year,
a rate of 3*80 is obtained for the Borough, 0"04 less than the mean, higher rates being
recorded in Marylebone (3'90) and Hampstead (10*32). Last year's rates exceeded the
means in the two districts last mentioned and in Westminster.
Erysipelas.—One hundred and five cases were reported during the year, 19 fewer than
in 1907. The morbidity rate (0*68) was 0*18 less than the mean (0*86). In comparison with
the preceding year (Table 7) increased numbers of cases were reported from Westbourne
and Church Wards.