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1910] 106
THE NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Small Pox, Diphtheria, Membranous Croup, Enteric or Typhoid Fever, Typhus
Fever, Erysipelas, Continued Fever, Relapsing Fever, and Cholera.
These diseases are all notifiable under the provisions of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891. There are, however, other diseases such as Cerebrospinal
Meningitis and Pulmonary Tuberculosis, which are notifiable under
the Orders of the London County Council and the Local Government Board,
to which reference will be found on page 141 of this report.
During the year 1,525 cases were notified, or 524 less than in the preceding
year, and 700 below the corrected average of the preceding 10 years. The
cases represented an attack rate of 4.65 per 1,000 inhabitants of the Borough,
which contrasted most favourably with the mean rate of 6.'79 which obtained
from 1900 to 1909 inclusive (ten years), as well as with the mean rate 7.85 per
1,000 recorded since notifications became compulsory twenty years ago. The
attack rate was not only low, but was actually the lowest hitherto known in
Islington.
This is an extremely satisfactory record, the value of which is much
enhanced by the fact that each disease exhibited a decreased number of cases
as compared with the average which prevailed during the preceding ten years,
and, indeed, since notification became established. The nearest approach to
the attack rate now recorded was that of the year 1903, when it was 5.12 or
0.47 per 1,000 higher than now. How low it was is well seen in the
diagram which faces this page, which graphically depicts the rates that prevailed
during the last twenty years.
It was pointed out last year that the notifiable infectious diseases were
gradually decreasing, and the decrease was shown by arranging the numbers
in quinquennial periods.
It would be well to do this once more.
Quinquennia. Notifications. Decrease on Preceding Periods.
1891-1895 16,190 -
1896-1900 14.367 1,823
1901-1905 11,592 3,775
1906-1910 10,201 1,391