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The combined figure for these two causes is lower by 5 than that for 1913, viz.,
22 as against 27.
The deaths from other conditions due to the irritation produced in various organs
by chronic alcoholism, e.g., nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) and Bright's
disease of the kidneys numbered 68 (.59 per 1,000). The number in 1913 was 64.
ACCIDENT, SUICIDE AND MANSLAUGHTER.
Accidental or violent deaths during 1914 numbered 69. Of these 14 were due
to suicide. Deaths of babies certified as resulting from suffocation (overlaying)
numbered 2.
RECORDS OF DISEASE.
The diseases considered under this heading are those made compulsorily notifiable
by Section 55 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891; diseases declared to be
notifiable under Orders made by the London County Council: tuberculosis, notifiable
under Regulations of the Local Government Board, and certain other diseases which
though not notifiable are infectious, viz., measles, whooping cough, and diarrhœa.
The diseases named in the Public Health (London) Act are smallpox, cholera,
diphtheria, membranous croup, erysipelas, scarlet fever, typhus, typhoid or enteric,
relapsing, continued and puerperal fevers.
Those added by the London County Council are cerebro-spinal fever, glanders
anthrax, hydrophobia, acute polio-encephalitis and myelitis and ophthalmia
neonatorum.
Tuberculosis during the whole of the year was notifiable as to all forms under
the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1912, which came into force on
1st February, 1913. The year under review (1914) is, therefore, the first full year
in which there has been a full scheme of notification in operation in relation to this
disease and full reference is made to the results obtained later.
The records as to the infectious but non-notifiable diseases—measles, whooping
cough, etc.—are based mainly on information obtained by the Women Inspectors
who investigated all cases coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of
Health. Attention is directed to the existence of cases of these diseases by school
teachers, who make special returns with regard to them, or in returns made by the
local Registrars.
A special table relating to the Infectious Diseases—Table II. of the Local
Government Board series—-will be found at page 91.
Information additional to that given there is set out below.
Notifications. The total number of notifications received during 1914 was
2,008. Especially in the case of tuberculosis, many of the notifications were
duplicates, and the actual number of cases notified was 1,299. The number notified
in 1913 was 1,334, so that there is a decrease of 35 from the previous year.