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ANTHRAX, CHOLERA, CONTINUED FEVER, DYSENTERY, GLANDERS, HYDROPHOBIA,
PLAGUE, RELAPSING FEVER, TRENCH FEVER, TYPHUS FEVER.
No cases of these diseases were notified during 1926.
WHOOPING-COUGH.
This disease is notifiable in only two London boroughs and not in Paddington. Since both the
cause of the disease and effective means for treating it are unknown it would not appear that notification
could assist very much in checking it. Whooping-cough is very infectious in the catarrhal stage,
before the characteristic whoop develops, and this adds to the difficulty in dealing with the disease.
In 1926, 8 children died from whooping-cough, all under the age of 5 years. The numbers of
deaths in 1924 and 1925 were 9 and 13 respectively.
CANCER.
The deaths from cancer are growing in number year by year in every part of the country, including
Paddington. It is now one of the commonest causes of death, and the number of deaths, 239, which
occurred in Paddington last year is larger than in any previous year. Careful analysis of the
figures demonstrates that the increase is a real one and is only partly accounted for by increased
longevity and consequent proclivity to the disease, and by more accurate diagnosis on the part of
doctors.

INFECTIVE ENTERITIS.
This disease was notifiable during 1926 in 7 London boroughs, but not in Paddington. The question
of making the disease notifiable was under consideration at the end of the year. In the absence
of a system of notification information as to the existence of the disease is obtained by informal methods
and cases of the disease known to the staff of St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington Green Children's
Hospital and Paddington Infirmary are notified informally to the Health Department of the Council.
By this means a large proportion of the worst cases of the disease are brought to notice.
During the year the number of cases reported was 176 under the age of 2 years, and 36 over the
age of 2 years. The deaths numbered 56, 55 of these occurring in children under the age of 2 years,
The disease was more than usually prevalent during the year, the number of deaths being about
double the number which occurred in 1924 and 1925 respectively.
TUBERCULOSIS.
Tuberculosis of all kinds is notifiable, and particulars of the number of notification certificates
received during the year 1926 are set out in the tables appended hereto.
Owing to the fact that a case of tuberculosis may be notified in several boroughs or districts, the
number of notification certificates received is only a very imperfect guide to the amount of tuberculosis
in the Borough. There is also the consideration that notification is more strictly enforced
in some districts than in others. However, recent alterations in procedure tend to make the number
of cases on the tuberculosis register serve as a guide as to the real prevalence of the disease. One
can also take the annual number of deaths as being a measure of prevalence. This is probably the
most exact method which can be used at the present time.
From pulmonary tuberculosis there were 102 deaths in 1926. From tuberculous meningitis there
were 5 deaths, and from other tuberculous diseases there were 18 deaths in 1926.