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The cases are grouped according to ages in Table II. (Appendix). All the cases
certified during the year were removed to hospital. The attack rate was 4.0 per 1,000
inhabitants. It was lowest in Moorfields and highest in Wenlock Ward, being 1.3 per
1,000 in the former as compared with 5.1 in the latter.
The deaths were at the rate of 0.04 per 1,000 population. There were no deaths
in Moorfields, Kingsland, Haggerston and Acton Wards. The case mortality was a
shade under 1 per cent.
Amongst children under five years there were 149 cases with a case mortality,
allowing for errors in diagnosis, of 2.6 per cent. The case mortality amongst persons
over five years were only 0.4 per cent., errors in diagnosis being allowed for.
The cases certified as scarlet fever in London numbered 12,369 and were at the rate
of 2.7 per 1,000 population. The deaths numbered 82, being at the rate of 0.02 per
1,000 population, as estimated for the middle of 1925. Taking the cases certified, the
case mortality for the Metropolis was barely 0.7 per cent. When this is compared
with the mortality of 60 or 70 years ago scarlet fever can hardly be regarded now-adays
otherwise than a benign disease, so far as fatality is concerned.
DIPHTHERIA (INCLUDING MEMBRANOUS CROUP).
The cases certified numbered 372, of which 87, or 23.4 per cent., were subsequently
not regarded as being diphtheria. This percentage is slightly higher than that for
1925, and is greatly above the average for previous years.