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48
Diphtheria.
Sixty-eight notifications of diphtheria relating to residents in the Borough were
received dining the year at the following ages:—
Under 1 year 1
1 to 5 years 28
5 „ 15 „ 19
15 „ 25 ,, 13 (includes 5 hospital
25 „ 45 „ 6 nurses)
45 „ 65 „ 1
Of these 67 were removed to hospital. Fifteen cases were returned from the
hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board certified as not suffering from diphtheria.
Four deaths occurred.
Four 'secondary" cases were notified, but as 2 of these were found not to be
diphtheria the number of genuine "secondary" cases was only 2. A "secondary"
case is one occurring in the same household as the primary case.
The 2 secondary cases include a nurse in a hospital in the Borough. From
the same hospital 24 in-patients were notified as suffering from diphtheria; none
of the in-patients were residents of the Borough.
There was no "return" case notified.
In London 10,684 cases were notified giving rise to 571 deaths.
We endeavour to co-operate with the Medical Superintendents of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board Fever Hospitals; information is now sent to them
as to any bacteriological examinations before admission or after discharge of the
patients, and also with regard to return cases of scarlet fever.
The practice of taking swabs from the throats and noses of child contacts
was continued during the year and 73 children were so swabbed. Of these 61 were
negative and in 12 (16 per cent.) positive results were obtained.

* One negative was reswabbed. †Two tested for virulence, one positive—Reswabbed 1925, one negative,
‡Referred to St. Mary's Hospital.