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The deaths from diarrhoea in the metropolis in 1907 numbered 1,563, as compared
with 1,507 in 1906. The deaths were most numerous during the months of September
and October. The death-rate from diarrhoea for the metropolis was 0.32 per 1,000
population, as compared with 0.93 in 1906, 0.72 in 1905, 1.07 in 1904, 0.64 in
1903, and 0.53 in 1902. The death-rate of the metropolis was, therefore, much
lower than usual for diarrhoea.
MEASLES.
Measles was prevalent in the Borough during the year, especially during the
first eight months. Deaths from the disease were registered in every month of the
year. Most occurred during the months of February, March, April, November and
December. Those during the latter two months were chiefly in the Shoreditch
Infirmary, where there was an outbreak amongst the children, with a mortality
amounting to 47 per cent of those attacked, 17 out of 36 cases terminating fatally.
Measles caused 114 deaths, of which 112 were of children under 5 years of age,
and the other two of children aged between 5 and 10 years. Of the deaths 67 were
of males and 47 of females. The deaths were most numerous in Church, Hoxton,
Wenlock and Whitmore Wards. The mortality was highest in Whitmore and lowest
in Acton Wards, being 2.07 and 0.48 respectively. The death-rate for the Borough
amounted to 0.99 per 1,000 population, as compared with 0.64 in 1906, 0.52 in 1905,
0.69 in 1904, 0.85 in 1903, 0.72 in 1902, and 0.64 in 1901. It was, therefore,
considerably above the average of recent years
The deaths from measles in the metropolis numbered 1,801, as compared with
1,909 in 1906 and 1,715 in 1905, the death-rate being 0.38 per 1,000, as against
0.40 in 1906 and 0.36 in 1905.
The houses brought to the notice of the Health Department as being infected
through measles numbered 674, as compared with 449 in 1906, 470 in 1905, and
454 in 1904. Information as to these houses was in the great majority of
instances supplied by the school authorities. In 204 of the houses on enquiry it
appeared that the illness was not measles. Altogether 494 rooms in 459 houses were
disinfected and the usual steps were taken by the officers of the Sanitary Authority
in respect to bedding and textile articles which had been exposed to infection In
11 instances the measures as to disinfection were carried out by the occupiers of the
premises to the satisfaction of the medical practitioners in attendances on the cases.
WHOOPING COUGH.
This disease was the cause of 99 deaths, 42 of males and 57 of females. With
two exceptions the whole of them were of children under 5 years of age. The
death-rate was 0.86 per 1,000 inhabitants, as compared with 0.51 in 1906, 0.73 in
1905, 0.51 in 1904, 0.35 in 1903, 0.63 in 1902, and 0.49 in 1901. The rate was,