View report page

13
Puerperal Fever.—Two cases of this disease were reported,
one in April at a house in Beddington Corner, the other in
December at a cottage near the Mitcham Road, in the Parish
of Beddington. The last case was fatal.
Diphtheria (including Membranous Croup).—During the
year 35 cases of diphtheria were notified, as compared with 46
in the preceding year, and an annual average of 33 during the
previous 7 years. On the whole, it was less prevalent than
it has been since 1892 (1895 excepted), and was certainly
much more mild in character than it has been for many
years, 4 deaths only having been recorded. There is no
doubt that more cases are now notified as diphtheria than was
the case some years ago ; mainly, I think, because bacteriology
—the resort to which, in these cases, is encouraged in this
District in every way, and is becoming more and more
generally used—has shown that the ordinary severe clinical
symptoms are not essential to the disease. The notification
of these mild or doubtful cases is especially important here,
for the District is so close to the vast population of London,
where the more or less constant prevalence of this disease
may be said to be one of the problems of the day, that it
would be too sanguine to look for its complete absence, and
one can only hope to keep it under control, and that is only
possible if every focus of infection is made known.
The disease showed itself at the beginning of the year at
Beddington Corner, 2 cases occurring in continuation of the
slight prevalence there at the close of 1896. A solitary case
also occurred at Collierswood, in a house where another
inmate was simultaneously attacked with scarlet fever. In
March, the first of a scattered series of cases occurred in
connection with the Village School at Addington, and 2
further cases occurred in 2 houses in Collierswood. The
disease also appeared in a house in Wallington. All these
cases were extremely mild.