View report page

69
The detention in hospital averaged slightly over nine
weeks.
Measles (decennial average 28.3) in London was fatal in
1,807 cases, and in no less than 12,287 throughout England
and Wales.
In St. Giles District 32 children died from it. In consequence
of this heavy fatality against not a single death from
scarlet fever (which is notifiable), your Board, at my suggestion,
has asked the approval of the Local Government
Board for its inclusion amongst the notifiable infectious
diseases.
Diphtheria (decennial average 13.8).—The 11 deaths in
this District were below the average, and call for no specialcomment.
In the early part of the year outbreaks of the disease
occurred both in the metropolis and the suburbs, referable
to several causes. The total deaths in London from it were
1,361, throughout England and Wales 4,940.
Dr. Thresh. Medical Officer of Health for the Chelmsford
and Maiden Districts, in his paper on diphtheria, speaking
of London manure and the disease, said " there could be no
question as to the desirability of the speedy removal of garbage
of all kinds from the metropolis. He had seen much
of its employment on the land; some was brought in barges
to the towns near the coast, but in his own district it came
by road; the stench was horrible. It consisted of refuse from
sausage manufactories and fishmongers' shops, butchers'
blood, dead cats, with black slime apparently from street
gulleys, and every description of filth—not unnaturally the
country people attributed to it every outbreak of disease.
Dr. Thorne Thorne, Principal Medical Officer to the Local
Government Board, in his Milroy lectures on diphtheria,