View report page

Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
21
Diphtheria.
This disease was not so prevalent as during the previous year.
The number of deaths was 76, and the death-rate per 1,000
was .22. The case mortality was 9.0 per cent.
The total number of cases notified was 838, 167 in Clapham,
67 in Putney, 146 in Streatham, 160 in Tooting, and 298 in Wandsworth.
The rate per 1,000 of population was 2.5, 2.7 in Clapham,
2.2 in Putney, 2.2 in Streatham, 4.0 in Tooting, and 3.0 in Wandsworth.
The number of cases was 171 below the number in 1921, but
was 189 above the corrected decennial average.
Of the 838 cases, 813, or 97 per cent., were removed to hospital.
No difficulty was experienced in having cases promptly removed
to hospital.
With regard to schools the highest number of cases occurred
among children attending Sellincourt Road School, the next
Swaffield Road, and the third New Park Road.
The following schools were visited by the Medical Officers of
the London County Council, and swabs taken from the throats
of some of the pupils examined. In Clapham, New Park Road;
in Putney, St. Mary's, Charlwood Road; in Tooting, Hillbrook
Road and Sellincourt Road; and in Wandsworth, St. Ann's, Swaffield
Road and The Wandle.
As a result of this swabbing, 13 cases were found to be positive
and 13 suspicious.
All the cases were swabbed again and not re-admitted to school
till found negative.
Every positive or suspicious case was visited and all necessary
precautions taken to prevent the spread of the disease.
The number of dwellings in each sub-district and the whole
Borough in which multiple cases occurred is shown in the next
Table.