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46. Arrangements have been made to keep a supply of
diphtheria anti-toxin at the Health Office, to enable medical
practitioners to obtain it promptly in an emergency. It is
only supplied on payment, the Council having no power to
provide it gratuitously.
Enteric Fever.
47. There were 50 cases of Enteric Fever (excluding 8 cases
found not to be Enteric Fever after notification), giving a case
rate per 1,000 population of 0-40, compared with 0'52, 0'59and
0-58 in the three preceding years. This is the smallest rate
recorded since 1891 (See Table V.) London case rate 0 74.
The following were the cases occurring in each parish during
the past three years:—
1900. 1901. 1902.
Woolwich 23 21 17
Plumstead 39 32 24
Eltham 4 15 9
Eltham and Dockyard Wards had the highest number of
cases proportionally to population.
There were 13 deaths, giving a death rate of 0.10 per 1,000
population, and a case mortality of 26 per cent. London
death rate 012, and case mortality 17 per cent.
Six of the deaths belonged to Woolwich Parish (4 to St.
George's Ward), 6 to Plumstead, and 1 to Eltham.
48. Source of Infection. Five cases were due to direct
infection occurring in three houses, three of the cases living in
the same dirty house as the primary case, and the other two
being employed in nursing the primary case The primary case
was in one instance a hawker, in another a greengrocer (in
Kidbrook), and in the third had never been notified, but had
suffered from Pneumonia and Diarrhoea two weeks before her