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The attack rates in the metropolitan boroughs are shown in Table 2.
Rheumatic
fever
Deaths in London from rheumatic fever in 1951 numbered 25, of which 7 were
among children under 15 years of age. Corresponding figures in 1950 were
30 and 5 respectively. Account must also be taken of all deaths under 45 years
assigned to heart disease, since, apart from deaths due to congenital heart disease,
the vast majority of these deaths are rheumatic in origin. The following table shows
the distribution of heart disease deaths under 45 years, according to age, in recent
years:—

No clear post-war trend can be discovered. The 1951 figures indicate a downward
fluctuation in the death-rate and there were only two deaths under the age
of 15
Scabies
Scabies became notifiable in London in August, 1943. Notifications in 1951
numbered 572 compared with 823 in 1950. The effect of improved control resulting
from notification is shown in the persistent decline in incidence. (See Table 9,
page 144.) It is seen that excellent progress has been made. The attack rate
(0.170 per 1,000) in 1951 was about 1 /40th of the rate experienced seven years earlier.
Scarlet
fever
Scarlet fever incidence was lower than in 1950. There were 3,705 cases
(1.10 per 1,000) compared with 4,157 (1.23 per 1,000) in the previous year. Only
3 deaths from scarlet fever or streptococcal sore throat occurred in 1951. Fifty
years ago the annual death roll in London was over 500.
There were no notifications of smallpox in London during the year.
Smallpox
Typhus
There was one case of typhus during 1951. The case occurred in St. Pancras.
The patient was a resident of the Gold Coast and was sent to the Hospital for Tropical
Diseases from the airport.
Whooping
cough
There were 10,448 notifications of whooping cough during the year compared
with 10,875 in 1950 and 5,754 in 1949. As can be seen from Table 9 the incidence
varies considerably from year to year. The roughly equal incidence in 1950 and