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17
SCARLET FEVER.
The cases of the above disease certified during 1907 numbered 876, as compared
with 629 in 1906, 789 in 1905, 343 in 1904 and 255 in 1903. They were more
numerous than in any year since 1893, when the highest number was recorded since
the notification of the disease became compulsory. In 62, or 7 per cent., of the
cases notified intimations were received from the Metropolitan Asylums Board that
the patients had not been suffering from scarlet fever. In 59 of these the intimations
simply stated that the diseases were not notifiable or not scarlet fever, and in the
other three in one instance the disease was measles, in another diphtheria, and in
the third tonsillitis. The corrected number of cases of scarlet fever was therefore
814, as compared with 595 in 1906, 771 in 1905, 320 in 1904 and 237 in 1903.

The cases are grouped according to ages in Table III. (Appendix). Of the
cases certified, 864, or 98.6 per cent., were removed to hospital, as compared with
97.4 per cent, in 1906, 97 per cent, in 1905 and 96 in 1904. The percentages for
previous years are given in the report for 1903.
The cases certified were at the rate of 7.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, as compared
with 5.3 in 1906, 6.7 in 1905, 2.9 in 1904, 2.1 in 1903, 2.1 in 1902, 4.7 in 1901
and 2.7 in 1900. The cases were most numerous and the attack.rates highest in
Whitmore, Acton and Church Wards, and lowest in Wenlock and Haggerston. In
Whitmore Ward the attack-rate was nearly 11 per 1,000 inhabitants. The deaths
from scarlet fever numbered 28, as compared with 20 in 1906, 27 in 1905 and
13 in 1904, the death-rate being 0.24, as compared with 0.17 in 1906, 0.23 in 1905,
0.11 in 1904 and 0.05 in 1903. The case-mortality was at the rate of 3.1 per cent.
B