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47
A perusal of the foregoing tables will show the incidence of
notifiable diseases in the Borough as well as their classification
in age and ward groups.
Table A will indicate that the past year was in no way
abnormal, having regard to the population of the district, and
no serious epidemics occurred. In fact the number of cases
of Scarlet Fever shows a marked decrease from the previous
year.
The report of the Superintendent of the Joint Hospitals
kindly furnished to me by Dr. T. Orr and appended to this
report, shows the progress made by the Joint Hospitals
Committee in the provision of adequate isolation hospital
accommodation for the districts for which it is responsible.
The present hospital accommodation was severely taxed
in the earlier part of the year, and a request was received to
send in only specially selected cases of Scarlet Fever for hospital
treatment, but every case recommended for treatment was
admitted.
Dealing with some of the principal diseases notified :
1. (a) Scarlet Fever.
The number of cases notified was 125, which gives an
attack rate of 2 per 1,000 of the population. Two deaths were
attributed to this disease. One fatal case was that of a man
aged 24 years which occurred at the North Western Hospital
Lawn Road, Hampstead, the patient being admitted there from
St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington. The cause of death was stated
to be (1) Meningitis (Streptococcal infection), (2) Acute
Ethmoiditis, (3) Scarlet Fever. The other fatal case occurred
at the West Middlesex Hospital, the death being due to
(a) Empyema, (b) Nephritis (Post Scarlet Fever), and the case
had not been notified.
106 of the patients suffering from Scarlet Fever, or 85 per
cent., received hospital treatment.
(b) Diphtheria.
The number of cases of this disease was comparatively
small, viz., 58, which gives an attack rate of 0.92 per 1,000 of
the population. Of these 57, or 98 per cent., were removed for
hospital treatment.