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As compared with the figures of the previous year there is a decrease in the
numbers of cases of diphtheria, enteric fever, puerperal fever, and erysipelas, and an
increase in the number of cases of small-pox and scarlet fever. The increased
number of cases of scarlet fever was the result of a localized outbreak which occurred
during the second quarter of the year and which will be referred to later on in this
report. The deaths from notifiable infectious disease numbered 72 as compared with
99 in 1900, 121 in 1899, 96 in 1898, 136 in 1897, 135 in 1896, and 117 in 1895.
Diphtheria shews the most marked decrease in the number of deaths amongst the
notifiable infectious diseases, there being only 28 deaths due to this cause as compared
with 54 last year. The cases of enteric fever and erysipelas shew decreases and
those of scarlet fever a slight increase as compared with the figures for 1900. Deaths
from infectious diseases which are notifiable were at the rate of 0'6 per 1,000 inhabitants
as compared with 0.8 for last year. Deaths from the principal zymotic diseases
which are not required to be notified were at the rate of 2.4 as compared with 2.4 per
1,000 for 1900
METROPOLITAN ASYLUMS BOAED.
With one or two exceptions, the whole of the cases which were removed to
hospital for treatment, were removed to the various hospitals of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board. The infectious diseases which are receivable into the hospitals of the
Board are small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and enteric fever. Including 7 cases
certified as continued fever, the number of cases of these diseases certified was 997,
and the number removed to hospital was 861 or 86.3 per cent. The percentages for
previous years were as follows:—84.7 per cent. in 1900, 82.4 in 1899, 81.4 in 1898,
71.4 in 1897, 65 in 1896, 57 in 1895, and 61 in 1894. From these figures it is
apparent that the popularity of the treatment and isolation afforded by the hospitals
of Board is still increasing in Shoreditch.
Nine instances of recurrence of infectious disease in houses shortly after patients
who had been treated in the fever hospitals of the Beard returned home, came under
my notice during the year. In 5 instances the disease was scarlet fever, and the
remaining 4 diphtheria. In 6 instances, 3 of scarlet fever and 3 of diphtheria, the
indications were that the recurrences of the disease in the houses were the result of
infection conveyed in some way by the patients recently returned from the fever
hospitals. The origin of 'return' cases in the Metropolis is at the present time the
subject of investigation by the Metropolitan Asylums Board.
SMALL-POX.
During the first 6 months of the year 1901 small-pox in London was limited to but a
few cases, some 5 or 6 occurring during the months of January and February, and then
the Metropolis was free from the disease until the end of May. Cases then occurred
from time to time until the end of August, when they began to be notified in numbers
in the Boroughs of St. Pancras and Marylebone, The disease gradually spread all over