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42
DIPHTHERIA.
In 1888, and still more in 1889, diphtheria was epidemic
in Kensington, especially in the northern parts of the Parish:
the deaths, 89 and 111 in the two years respectively, were 65
and 79 above the corrected decennial average. In 1890 the
deaths were only 35, or 6 below the corrected average. In
1891 the deaths further fell to 28, and were 12 below the
corrected average. Last year the deaths were 31, and 11.5
below the average. Twenty-seven of the deaths belong to
the Town sub-district, and four to Brompton. The deaths in
the Brompton sub-district in the preceding four years had been
2, 5, 6 and 4 respectively. Fourteen of the deaths took place
at home and 17 in hospitals—most of them in the Western
Fever Hospital. The ages at death were: under five years,
21 (one only in the first year of life); between five and fifteen
9; and 1 at the age of 38. The cases recorded as diphtheria
were 177, viz., 76 north and 101 south of Uxbridge Road.
Eighty-eight of the sufferers were removed to hospital, 31
from North Kensington and 57 from South Kensington. In
1891 the recorded cases were 182—114 North, and 68 South of
Uxbridge Road. The sufferers comprised 58 males and 119
females 4 44 of them were under five years of age, 44 between
five and twelve years (the usual public elementary school age),
30 between twelve and twenty-one, and 59 upwards of twentyone.*
Forty-five of the children had been in attendance at
schools, 21 in North Kensington, and 24 in South Kensington.
The case-mortality in hospital-treated cases was 19.3 per cent.
against 12.8 per cent. in home-treated cases. The total casemortality,
61.8 per cent. in 1888, and 45.3 per cent. in 1889,
fell, in 1890 (notification being in practice), to 16.8 per cent.,
and in 1891 to 15.4 per cent. Last year it was 17.5
per cent. This reduction in the rate of mortality is too
great to be accounted for on the assumption of diminished
malignancy in the type of the disease, and was more
* The 89 cases at ages above 12 resulted in only 2 deaths. At ages above
15 there were 75 cases and only one death,