View report page

The death rate from this cause in each year since 1868, in relation to the mean death rate of the
period 1869-95, is shown in diagram XV.
The following table shows that in 1895, as in 1893 and 1894, males in London suffered more
heavily than females both in respect of attacks and deaths, and that this greater incidence of disease
on males in 1895 was manifested at each age period, and of incidence of deaths at all but one age
period. In 1895, moreover, the case mortality of males was at "all ages" greater than the case
mortality of females; at the younger ages the case mortality of females was the greater, and at the
older ages that of the males.

In 1885-94 the eastern group of districts had the highest death rate and the western the lowest;
the highest was in the Strand, Poplar and Limehouse (.20 each), the lowest in Lee and Plumstead
combined (.08). In 1895 the eastern group of districts had the highest rate and the western the
lowest; Plumstead had the highest rate (.52), and St. Saviour's, Southwark, the lowest (.04).
In my last report I commented on an increase in the prevalence of enteric fever in London
in the month of December following exceptional floods in the Thames and Lea. The returns of
notified cases of infectious disease showed that the number of cases of enteric fever thus notified in
January, 1895, was, although decreasing, still above the average of the number in January of the five
preceding years during which notification has been obligatory. Dr. Frankland, in his report to the
Local Government Board on Metropolitan Water Supply in 1895, states as the result of his bacteriological
examination of London waters that "the severe frost of January, February and March seriously
disarranged the filters of the seven companies drawing their supplies from rivers." Unusual prevalence
of enteric fever in London was, however, not maintained after January, and such prevalence as
occurred in that month was probably related to the prevalence of the preceding month of December.
In May the number of cases of enteric fever again increased, as the result of an outbreak of this disease
due to the distribution in Plumstead and Woolwich of an infected milk supply.
In the fiftieth week of the year there was some increase in the number of cases of enteric fever
included in the weekly return of the Metropolitan Asylums Board above the number included in the
forty-ninth week. Judged by the experience of the few years during which notification of infectious
diseases has been obligatory in London, this increase is unusual, and it may be noted that the increase
followed, as did that of 1894, the occurrence of river flood. If the cases of enteric fever be considered
in relation to water supply, it is found that the increase of cases was manifested in London generally
excepting in the population supplied from the Lea. The Local Government Board favours me with
a return showing the number of cases of the several infectious diseases notified each week in various
*See footnote (2), page 10.