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51. To sum up—it lias been sliown that although there is
very great difference between schools as to the amount of
infectious disease incidence, a high notification rate may be
altogether independent of any special conditions of the school,
and may be consistent with an average amount of infectious
disease in the neighbourhood, and with a low mortality.
It has been further seen that the only conditions, affecting the
London County Council Schools, which are variable and likely to
influence the prevalence of infection, are the maintenance of ventilation,
and ability and energy in detecting early cases of infectious
disease and excluding the same; and that there is reason to think
that the importance of these measures is generally realised by
teachers.
It is satisfactory to note that there was a great reduction of
school incidence in the past five years as compared with the
previous quinqennium, and that the reduction is especially
marked at the schools which had the highest incidence during
the first five years. It is still more satisfactory to find, from the
Registrar General's Annual Returns, (See table VIIa.) that the
Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria death rates in Woolwich were much
less than in London during the past five years. Of the ten
South-Eastern Boroughs only one—Greenwich- had a lower
Scarlet Fever mortality than Woolwich.
Diphtheria.
52. 273 cases of Diphtheria were notified, compared with 216,
233, 186 and 163 in the four preceding years. The case rate
(No. of cases per 1,000 population) corrected for mistaken
diagnosis—of which 20 were noted—was 2.01; this is the highest
rate since 1900.
53. There were only 18 deaths, compared with 23, 13 and 29
in the three preceding years. The death rate was 0.14; the rate
has only been lower in the past 15 years on two occasions, 1891