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48
It is generally accepted that the mortality from diphtheria
among cases treated by anti-toxin early in the disease is much
smaller than those treated late, the mortality increasing according
to the number of days after the onset of the attack. Parents are
therefore being continuously urged to seek medical advice when
their children are attacked with sore throat and medical practitioners
are repeatedly impressed with the importance of not
waiting in suspicious cases for the result of a bacteriological swab
before administering anti-toxin. To facilitate the administration
of anti-toxin a supply is always available at the Town Hall for use
by doctors both during the day and night. In cases where the
parents are too poor to be able to pay for the anti-toxin no charge
is made. During the year 286,000 units of anti-toxin were supplied
for administration in this way.
Scarlet Fever.—The number of cases of scarlet fever was
less than in the previous year, although it was more than in the
preceding five years as will be seen in Table V. The months in
which the prevalence was greatest were March, July and October,
in which occurred, respectively, 36, 31 and 30 cases. The least
number of cases occurred in. June, August and September, in which
there were respectively 11, 12 and 14 cases. The scarlet fever
case-rate for the Borough was 2.54 per thousand of population,
this rate being lower than that for England and Wales, which
was 2.76.
The cases were more or less distributed throughout the Borough
and the disease was mild in character. There were three deaths
from the disease. This gives a scarlet fever death-rate of 0.03
per thousand of population. This rate is a little more than that
for England and Wales and that for London, which were each 0.02
per thousand of population.
Of the three cases of scarlet fever which died, one was a boy
15 years of age, the second was a boy 5 years age and the third
was a woman 28 years of age who developed scarlet fever three
days after the birth of her child and died five days later.
Enteric and Typhoid Fever.—There were four cases falling
within this group, all paratyphoid “B.” All were females and
their ages were, respectively, 21, 22, 28 and 55. Two cases occurred