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16
Table E in the appendix, prepared for purposes of reference,
shows the occurrence of scarlet fever in each parish for each year
of the notification period
Diphtheria and Membranous Group.—This malady was somewhat
more prevalent, and also more wide-spread, than in 1895,
and showed itself, more or less, in 6 of the nine parishes in the
District. It was, however, less virulent in character; of 46
cases which were reported 6 proved fatal. The annual average
number of cases reported during the 6 years of the notification
period, was 31.
The disease first appeared in January in a house in Merton
and one in Mitcham, the latter being within the Singlegate
District, so often alluded to in previous reports. In February
cases occurred in Wallington, Beddington, and Mitcham, and in
March a case occurred in Kenley, and 1 at the Holborn Schools
in Mitcham, the latter being followed by another case in April.
During this month solitary cases also occurred at Kenley and
Smithambottom, and 3 cases, including 1 of membranous
croup which ended fatally in 30 hours, occurred in separate
houses in Mitcham. In May 9 cases occurred, of which 5 were
in 5 houses in Mitcham, 3 in 2 houses in Merton, and 1 in
Morden. No connection was traced among these cases, except
perhaps as regards 3, where the patients attended the Singlegate
School, in Mitcham. Several of the cases reported during this
month were exceedingly mild, but their true nature was
established bacteriologically. In June 2 further cases occurred
in 1 of the houses in Mitcham infected in May, and a very mild
and doubtful case occurred in Merton, but in July the District
was free from the disease; while in August there was another
case in Mitcham, which was clearly contracted from one of the
cases reported in June, in whom the diphtheria bacillus persisted
for a very long time.
During September a case occurred at Hackbridge, in Wallington
Parish, and in the same month a child at the Female
Orphan Asylum, Beddington, was attacked with sore throat,