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21
SCARLET FEVER.
460 cases were notified and 7 deaths occurred, a case fatality
of 1.5 per cent.
In 1907 the case-fatality was 2.5 per cent.
„ 1908 „ „ 2.6
„ 1909 „ „ 1.6
„ 1910 „ „ 2.88
„ 1911 „ „ 1.5
Our death-rate from Scarlet Fever for the year 1911 was .06
per 1,000 of the population; that of England and Wales, .05;
of the 77 Great Towns, .06; and of London, .04.
From the above figures it will be seen that Scarlet Fever was
very prevalent during the year; and also, from the low deathrate,
that it was of a mild type.
The two circumstances stand to each other in the relationship
of cause and effect. That is to say, the disease often appeared
in such mild and anomalous forms as to escape recognition, and
so "missed" cases were enabled to go about and spread the
disease.
Several medical practitioners of great experience told me
that on account of the absence of definite symptoms they often
had the greatest difficulty in making a positive diagnosis. Among
careless people, where no doctor was called in, the disease was
put down as a cold, or as a Spring or Autumn Rash, &c.