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The mortality rate, calculated on all the cases admitted,
was 3.43 per cent.
It may be of interest to review the prevalence of Scarlet
Fever, Diphtheria and Typhoid Fever in the Borough as
shown by the admissions to the Hospital since it was opened
in 1896, and in Table 1. there is shown the annual admissions
and deaths from these diseases during the past thirty years.
The building of the Hospital was not completed until 1901
and Typhoid Fever cases were not admitted until that year.
From this Table it will be seen that the prevalence of Typhoid
Fever has greatly diminished in recent years and there are
good reasons to hope that with the continued improvement
in sanitation and the general standard of living this disease
may shortly be stamped out. With regard to Scarlet Fever,
marked fluctuations have occurred in its prevalence, but the
general type of the disease has become milder as shown by
the fall in the case mortality. Diphtheria, on the other hand,
shows a steady increase in prevalence during recent years, and
though the mortality has been low in the past three years it is
impossible to say if this level can be maintained. Hospital
treatment and isolation do not appear to have had any
effect on the prevalence of either Scarlet Fever or Diphtheria
though they may have contributed to the reduction in the
mortality rate. There are good prospects, however, that these
diseases may soon be prevented by the inoculation of
susceptible individuals. This has already been carried out in
the case of Diphtheria and appears to give excellent results.