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27
Zymotic
Diseases.
Table IV. gives the number of deatlis from
these diseases as compared with previous years
and a comparison of Zymotic and general death-rates.
The Zymotic death-rate was 1.4 per thousand of the estimated
population, the lowest rate in the ten years.
If we include the 11 deatlis of this class that occurred in
out-lying institutions, the Zymotic rate becomes l.67 per
thousand.
The number of deaths in all the different classes has
decreased and was less than the average, excepting in
the ease of diphtheria which was above the average.
Small Pox.—No case has come under notice during the
year.
Diphtheria.—During the year there Were 17 deaths
from this disease in the Parish and 6 in out-lying institutions,
this same number as in 1888. The decennial
average is 6.7. Altogether 62 cases came to our knowledge.
They occurred in nearly every part of the district,
but were especially numerous in a comparatively small
area consisting of Lyham Road and the streets opening
out of it, in which we knew of 34 cases with 15 deaths,
out of the total of 23. I had last year to report that in
this area there was a greater amount of the disease than
in other parts of the parish. In seeking an explanation
for this, it must be remembered that the Lyham Road
is the boundary between Clapham and Lambeth, one
side being in one parish and the opposite in the other.
This renders the tracing of the causation of individual
cases a matter of extreme difficulty and the fact that the
children play together in the street to a great extent,
makes direct infection very probable. There was during
the year, I am informed, a considerable amount of
diphtheria in the contigous part of Lambeth.