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62
Diphtheria.—The number of cases of diphtheria occurring
during the year was very small, only 54 cases being notified compared
with 83 in the previous year. The diphtheria case-rate
for Ealing of 0.44 per thousand of population is the second lowest
recorded since the Infectious Diseases Notification Act was adopted
in 1890. As in previous years, the case-rate for Ealing is well
below that for England and Wales which, in 1932, was 1.08. Table
VI indicates that the cases were well distributed throughout the
months of the year, with November and December providing the
highest number, nine cases occurring in each month. No cases
of the disease were notified in the month of July, while in the
following month, August, only one case was recorded.
The type of the disease was on the whole mild. Two deaths
occurred, which gives a death-rate of 0.02 per thousand of population
and a mortality rate of 3.7 per cent. of cases notified. The deathrate
is well below that for England and Wales, which is 0.06. The
deaths which occurred were both of infants two years of age.
The first, who was ill for three days before being admitted to the
Isolation Hospital, died on the day following admission, while the
second, who was admitted after being ill for a week, died after a
stay in Hospital of three weeks.
Every effort is made to encourage medical practitioners
to administer anti-toxin to suspicious cases without delay, and
for this purpose a supply of anti-toxin is available at the Town
Hall at all hours of the day and night. The anti-toxin is supplied
free of charge if the parents of the patients are unable to pay for
it. During the year under review, 260,000 units were supplied
for 39 cases.
Scarlet Fever.—The number of cases notified during the
year was 407, by far the highest number in any year since the
occurrence of the severe epidemic in 1921 and 1922. Compared
with the total of 154 cases notified in 1931 the incidence of the
disease showed a great increase. The scarlet fever case-rate for
the Borough is 3.32 per thousand of population, this rate being
well above that for England and Wales, which is 2.12. The months in
which the cases occurred are indicated in Table VI, from which