View report page

18
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
The percentage of children vaccinated to total births was only
51.5; 56.7 in Clapham, 66.6 in Putney, 43.79 in Streatham, etc., and
58.1 in Wandsworth.
Diphtheria.
This disease was much less prevalent than in 1922, 374 cases
occurring, compared with 838.
The number of deaths was 26, compared with 76 in 1922, and
the death-rate was .07, compared with .22. The case mortality
was 6.9 per cent.
The rate per 1,000 of population was 1.1, 1.2 in Clapham, .4 in
Putney, .6 in Balham, .6 in Streatham, 1.5 in Tooting, and .4 in
Wandsworth.
The fall in Diphtheria is specially noticeable, as the number
of cases in 1923 was definitely less than in any year since 1911.
Of the 374 cases, 356 or 97 per cent. were removed to hospital,
and no difficulty was experienced in having cases promptly removed.
The Medical Officers of the London County Council made
inspections of St. Mary's, Balham, The Earlsfield, Eltringham
Street, Merton Road, St. Anne's, Waldron Road, and West Hill
Schools, and swabs were taken from the throats of some of the
children examined.
As a result of this swabbing three cases were found to be
positive and six 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 following Table shows the attack rate per 1,000 of the
cases removed to hospital, as well as those treated at home, according
to the number of persons per room.