View report page

40
The death-rate in each period since 1868 in relation to the mean death-rate of the period 1869-1906
is shown in diagram XV.
During the year 1906 seven persons were certified to be suffering from typhus, three resident
in Islington, one in Hackney, one in Stepney, and two in Bermondsey. After removal to hospital
there was revision of the diagnosis of these cases, and the number of persons known to be actually
suffering from typhus in 1905 was four, this number including one who was sent to hospital on a
certificate that he was suffering from enteric fever.
The first of the four cases was that of a telegraph messenger, who was removed to hospital from
Islington in January; it was thought that he must have contracted his disease in Peterborough.
The second was that of a man aged 45, employed as an engraver, who was removed in March to
hospital from Hackney, where he had resided for six months; there was no evidence as to how he
became infected. The third case was that of a man aged 43, who superintended the removal of manure,
including rags, in the Willow-walk depot of the London, Brighton and South-Coast Railway; he was
removed to hospital in the beginning of March from Bermondsey ; and the source of his infection could
not be discovered. The fourth case was that of a furrier, aged 33, who was removed to hospital from
Whitechapel in June. In none of the above cases was there evidence of destitution.
Enteric Fever.
The number of cases of enteric fever notified in the Administrative County of London during
1906 (52 weeks) was 1,600, compared with 1,552 in 1905. The deaths from this disease numbered 260
in 1906 (52 weeks), compared with 234 in 1905.
The case-rate and death-rates per 1,000 persons living and the case-mortality per cent, in 1906
and preceding periods were as follows :—

The death-rate in each year since 1868 in relation to the mean death-rate of the period 1869-1906
is shown on diagram XVI.
The notified cases in each week of 1906 may be compared with the average weekly notifications
of the period 1890-1906 on reference to diagram XVII. The diagram shows exceptional behaviour of
the disease in the month of June ; increase of cases occurred during this month in more than one
London district coincident with an increase in the cases notified in the Borough of West Ham, which
increase was attributed by the medical officer of the Borough to the consumption of infected cockles
from Leigh Creek. Further reference to this matter will be found on page 42.
The monthly case-rate and case-mortality in each of the years 1891-1906 in relation to the mean
of the whole period is shown in diagram XVITI.
The following table shows the enteric fever cases, deaths, case-rates, and death-rates for the year
1906, the case-rates for the decennium 1896-1905, and the death-rates for the period 1901-5 in the several
sanitary districts—
1 The Infectious Disease (Notification) Act came into force in 1889. 2 See footnote (2) page 7.