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31
During the year 1900 under the Notification Clauses of
the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, 2209 cases of
Infectious Diseases have been reported, and of this number
1425, i.e. 64.5% were removed to the Hospitals of the
Asylums Board, or to other Hospitals, and 784, i.e. 35.5%
remained under treatment at their own homes. The percentages
of removals is higher than in any previous year,
during the last nine years, i.e., since the introduction of
the Notification Act and the tabulation of cases removed to
Hospital. In 1891, 36.6% of the total Zymotic cases notified
were removed; in 1892, 33.7%; in 1893, 23%; in 1894,
33.9%; in 1895, 30.4%; in 1896, 43%; in 1897, 49%; in
1898, 55.97%; in 1899, 61.2%; whilst in 1900, the numbers
removed form 64.5% of the total cases. During 1900, 23.1%
puerperal fever, 47.0% erysipelas, 73.8% scarlet fever, 69.1%
typhoid, 72.4% diphtheria, 17.7% continued fever and 50%
membranous croup, were removed to Hospital respectively.
Table K gives the averages of Notification Certificates
received in Lambeth since 1890, and it will be seen that
during 1900 the total number is less than the average—
the greatest number of Notifications being received in
1893—whilst the incidence per 1000 of the population
during 1900 is 2.0 below the average incidence for the ten
years 1890-99 (i.e., since the introduction of the Compulsory
Notification Act).
The two cholera cases notified were probably cholera
nostras (English cholera), or infantile diarrhoea.
The diphtheria increase is not so serious—only a total of
844 notifications being received during the year 1900, i.e.,
27.2% above the average for the last ten years. The cases
occurred in 748 infected houses, and in only 13.5% of these
were the drains, on testing, found detective. For fuller
details as to this increase in diphtheria,.vide pp. 51-52.