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32
number of these cases is largely due to inability to pay for
proper medical attendance
Some parts of London were affected by a serious milk epidemic
due to milk coming from Wiltshire supplied by cows suffering
from an eruption of the teats Woolwich had 12 cases due to
this cause, most of whom were Officers of the Garrison The
Artillery Mess was supplied from this source, but very few
private houses A few years ago the Company affected supplied
indirectly a large proportion of the population of Woolwich
39 There were 19 deaths, giving a death-rate of 0.15 per
1000 population, compared with an average of 0.08 in the five
preceding years, and 0.19 in the ten years 1891-1900 The
death-rate in London was 008 The case mortality (proportion
of deaths per cent of notifications) was 1.9, compared with 1.5
in 1908 Of the deaths, 5 were in Woolwich Parish, 12 in
Plumstead, and 2 in Eltham
It appears from the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of
Health to the London County Council, that, in the five years
1903-7, only six Metropolitan Boroughs had a lower death-rate
from Scarlet Fever than Woolwich
40 Hospital Isolation Of the 1027 cases, 945, or 94 per
cent. were removed to one of the Fever Hospitals, compared
with 84, 81, 78, 85, and 86, percent in the five preceding years
31 cases, or 3.1 per cent. were reported after observation at
hospital, not to be Scarlet Fever
The very high percentage of cases removed to hospital is no
doubt a measure to some extent of the poverty existing in the
town Parents cannot afford the cost of medical attendance
There is no power to provide, at the public expense, medical
attendance at home, and thus it may be said that the