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J Institution notifications are those infected in Public Institutions, or imported
cases to Public Institutions where the home condition could not be ascertained.
It will be noticed that in three out of the four years there was
not a single death from scarlet fever in any of the larger houses,
while the total figures for the four years show a case fatality of only
0.6 among the children living in larger houses, as compared with a
case fatality of 17 among those living in smaller tenements. This
is in part to be explained by the more favourable conditions under
which children live in the larger tenements, and to the fact that
those living in smaller houses are more frequently exposed to
infection, and are, therefore, liable to attack at an earlier age, when
this disease is more likely to prove fatal.
Again, while 1,816 cases were notified in small tenements, only
482 were notified in large tenements. As it is estimated that the
number of children living in large tenements is in the proportion of
one for every 2½ living in small tenements, it is obvious that the
risk of a child living in a small tenement of contracting scarlet
fever is half as large again as it is in the case of the more affluent.