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69
Regulations as to Plague and Destruction of Rats.
During 1910 (Nov. 10th), an Order was issued by the
Local Government Board with reference to the destruction
of rats by the Local Authorities in districts, where plague
in rats is present, or suspected, or in which there is an
unusual mortality amongst rats. The Order refers not
only to the destruction of rats but to the prevention of their
entrance into buildings and other premises. The Order
is made under the Public Health Acts 1875, 1891, and 1896.
A Memorandum was also published by the Board during 1910,
dealing with the subject of Plague, together with directions,
for obtaining and forwarding for special bacteriological
examinations, material from any suspected plague case.
DIPHTHERIA.
During 1910, 25 deaths were registered in the Borough of
Lambeth from Diphtheria, and a total of 318 cases were
notified, giving a case-mortality of 7.9 per cent. Of the 318
liases notified, 287* (i.e., 90.3 per cent.) were removed to
Hospital, and 23 died, giving a case-mortality of 8.01 per
cent. amongst the cases treated in Hospital; whilst 31 (i.e.,
9.7 per cent.) were treated at home, and 2 died, giving a
case-mortality of 6.5 per cent. amongst the patients treated
at home.
The case-mortality rate for the whole of the Borough of
Lambeth during 1910, is low, pointing to (1) the mildness of
the majority of the cases notified, and (2) the great value of
antitoxin in the treatment of Diphtheria, especially in the
very early stages of the disease. †
The decrease in the number of Diphtheria deaths throughout
the new Borough of Lambeth during 1910 is again
* Of the 287 cases of Diphtheria removed to Hospital, 25 proved at
Hospital not to be suffering from that disease.
† 32 bottles of Antitoxin have been gratuitously distributed in
Lambeth Borough during 1910.