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44
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
All the cases were of an extremely mild type and no deaths
resulted.
It was not considered advisable to take action under section
71 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, as although there was
strong presumptive evidence that the Scarlet Fever was caused by
the milk it could not be definitely proved.
The dairyman was also quite willing and anxious to do all in
his power to prevent any spread of the disease. The above
section could not have been put in action for several days, and
with his co-operation the milk supply was withdrawn much more
quickly
DIPHTHERIA AND MEMBRANOUS CROUP.
These diseases were not nearly so prevalent in 1903 as in the
previous year, only 532 cases having been notified, compared with
750 in 1902. Although less than last year the number of cases
is above the two years 1900 and 1901, but it is 91 under the
decennial average corrected for increase of population.
The greatest number of notifications was received from the
parish of Streatham and the smallest number from Tooting.
401, or 75 per cent. of the cases were removed to hospital
where 30 died, and 131, or 25 per cent. were treated at home with
15 deaths.
The case mortality was 8.4 per cent., compared with 9.3 in
1902 and 8.9 in 1901. The case mortality for all London was 9.7
per cent., compared with 10.7 in 1902 and 10.9 in 1901.
The case mortality among the hospital treated cases was 7.5
per cent, and among those treated at home 11.4 per cent.
The following Table shows the number of cases, the caserate
per 1,000 living for the year, and for the previous ten years,
the deaths, and the death-rate for the Borough, as well as for each
sub-district.