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52
WHOOPING COUGH.
There were 37 deaths from whooping cough last year, 13 of the deceased persons being
males and 24 females. The fatality was, for persons, 57 per cent., as compared with 5.5 in
1911, and an average of 6.4 for the five years 1908-12. The fatalities recorded in 1911 all
exceeded those of last year, but last year's rates are singular by reason of the disparity between
the rates for the two sexes (males, 4.4; females, 6.8). The excess of fatality among females is
made the more interesting owing to a similar occurrence being noted in the case of measles.
The fatality rates recorded in the Wards are set out in Table 34.
Whooping Cough : Fatality.
Per 100 known cases.
Borough.
1908.
1909.
1910.
1911.
1912.
1908-12.
1913.
Males ...
8.8
6.4
9.4
7.2
5.9
7.5
4.4
Females
4.3
6.3
4.6
7.0
5.2
5.5
6.8
Persons ...
6.5
6.4
6.7
7.1
5.5
6.4
5.7
The mortality last year was at the rate of 0.25 per 1,000 persons, as compared with 014
in 1912 and an average (1908-12) of 0 20. The mortality among females, in spite of the excess
in the fatality rate, was not much higher than that of males. (See below.) It was, however, the
highest recorded for that sex since 1908. (For the rates recorded in the Wards, see Table 34.)
Whooping Cough : Mortality.
Per 1,000 individuals of each sex and persons.
Borough.
1908.
1909.
1910.
1911.
1912.
1908-12.
1913.
Males ...
0.11
0.28
0.36
0.36
0.18
0.26
0.21
Females
0.04
0.23
0.15
0.28
0.12
0.16
0.29
Persons
0.07
0.25
0.24
0.31
0.14
0.20
0.25
The local rate (Table 24) for last year was the highest of the series, the lowest (0.04) being
recorded in Westminster. In Paddington and Hampstead only were last year's rates in excess
of the averages.
Sex-Age Incidence.—Examining the average rates given in Table 35, it will be seen that the
highest morbidity was, for males, recorded at age 3 years, and for females at age 4, and that the
fatality and mortality were highest at ages 1 to 2 years in both sexes. Both fatality and mortality
are very nearly negligible at ages above 2 years.