View report page

66
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Diphtheria and Membranous Croup.
These diseases, which are now classed as one, were exceptionally
prevalent during the year, but more especially in October and
November. The number of notifications received, 750, was the
largest received since notification was compulsory, and compares
unfavourably with the two preceding years, when only 454 and 456
respectively were notified.
The number of cases notified is 210 above the corrected
average for the last 10 years.
The largest number of notifications were received from the
parish of Wandsworth, and the fewest from Tooting.
555, or 74 per cent, of the cases were removed to Hospital,
with 49 deaths, and 195 cases, or 26 per cent., were treated at
home with 21 deaths.
There is a slight decrease in the percentage of cases removed
to Hospital, compared with 1901, and a corresponding increase
in the number of cases treated at home.
The case mortality was 9.3 per cent., compared with 8.9 per
cent, in 1901. The case mortality for all London, for the year, was
10.7, compared with 10.9 in 1901.
The case mortality among those Hospital treated cases was
8.8 per cent., and l0.8 among those treated at home.
Chart showing the number of notifications of Diphtheria received
during each week of the year 1902.