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57
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
At the Census of 1901, the percentage of children from four
to 13 years in the whole Borough was 18.9, while in Tooting this
percentage is approximately 22.1.
I have not been able to trace any connection between the
Fever Hospitals and the increased prevalence of Scarlet Fever in
this sub-district, as, with the exception of one street, the locality
in the immediate neighbourhood of these hospitals did not suffer
any more severely than any other part of the sub-district.
This exception was due, not to the Fever Hospitals, but to
two unrecognised cases which were allowed to mix with other
children in the street before the disease was recognised.
There was, however, a localised outbreak in another street
due to unrecognised cases. In this, 12 cases occurred in six
households, five in one house, three in another, and one each in
four houses.
The increased prevalence in Tooting did not lead to an increased
mortality, as only two deaths occurred out of the 245
cases notified.
In Wandsworth the percentage of cases notified to total population
was only 3.7, compared with 8.2 in 1905. The disease was
not nearly so prevalent in this sub-district as was the case in
1905.
The maximum number of cases was notified in February and
the minimum in March.
There was a slight recrudescence of this disease in the Royal
Patriotic Asylum in February, when 16 cases were notified, and
in March, when seven cases were notified. In 1905, 51 cases were
notified, chiefly in October, and in 1906, 24 cases, the last case
having been notified on the 26th March.
All these were removed to hospital, but no deaths resulted.
The following Table shows the number of cases notified in
each sub-district during the year 1906.