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47 cases according to information from the Board, in 30 tonsilitis was the illness from
which the patients were suffering, in 6 it was scarlet fever, in 3 laryngitis, in 2 measles,
in 2 bronchitis, 1 pharyngitis, 1 incipient whooping cough, and in 2 instances the patients
were simply said not to have had diphtheria. In connection with the above it may be
remarked that cases of throat illness are frequently met with in which, whilst there is
reason to suspect diphtheria, it is impossible to say off hand that such positively is the
case. The only thing in such cases is for them to be isolated and kept under observation.
The cases certified as diphtheria in 1903 numbered 154 including 13 which were
wrongly diagnosed as such. Deducting the cases not regarded as diphtheria there
would appear to have been fewer cases in 1904 than in 1903.
The deaths numbered 19, the death-rate being 0.16 per 1,000 as compared with
0.18 in 1903, 0.18 in 1902, 0.23 in 1901, 0.45 in 1900, and 0.52 in 1899 (appendix
Table VI). The mortality during 1904 was less than in 1903, the attacks proving fatal
in 10.3 per cent. of the cases certified (13.9 allowing for cases not regarded as diphtheria
at the fever hospitals) as compared with 13.6 for 1903. The case mortalities for previous
years were 10.7 in 1902, 8.8 in 1901, 15.3 in 1900, 17.0 in 1899, 17.3
in 1898, 22.1 in 1897, 21.0 in 1896, 24.1 in 1895, 24.0 in 1894, and 29.0 in 1893.
Of the nineteen deaths, sixteen were of children under five years of age, the mortality
being 16.3 percent, of the cases certified (19.5 per cent. allowing for cases not regarded
as diphtheria at the hospitals) as compared with 23.8 in 1903, 20.5 in 1902, 15.4 in
1901, 22.7 in 1900, 34.2 in 1899, 29.5 in 1898, 36.0 in 1897, 31.8 in 1896, 47.5 in 1895,
43.0 in 1894 and 61.0 in 1893. There were two deaths of children aged between five
and ten years and one between ten and fifteen years. The mortality amounted to
3.5 per cent of the cases certified amongst persons over five years of age, but deducting
the cases which were subsequently stated not to have been diphtheria the mortality was
nearly double this figure.