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these conditions the year 1937 must be considered a healthy
year. This zymotic death rate takes no account, however, of
deaths from pneumonia and influenza, which together contribute
considerably to the total mortality of any area.
The total number of the notified cases removed to hospital
was 1,709. This gives a removal rate of 76.3 per cent., as compared
with rates of 70.8 for 1936, 73.7 for 1933, and 65.6 for 1934.
It is satisfactory to note that the removal rate is on the whole
increasing, although the conditions to which this state gives rise
are not unassociated with certain difficulties. The accommodation
at the isolation hospital is sometimes taxed to the utmost, and at
certain seasons a few cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria have to
be treated in the London Fever Hospital. During the year 1937
the number of patients who were admitted to that institution was
104, of whom 99 suffered from scarlet fever and 5 from diphtheria.
It should be noted that, a's in the tables in the section on
Vital Statistics, the rates given in the tables in this section are
crude rates. Therefore, the reservations which are mentioned on
page 57 should be borne in mind in the study of these tables.
SMALLPOX.
No case of this disease was notified during the year.
In connection with the diagnosis of smallpox, three requests
for a consultant's opinion were received from practitioners during
the year. In each instance the final diagnosis was chicken-pox.
Particulars of the work carried out in connection with
vaccination are given on page 46.
SCARLET FEVER.
The number of cases of scarlet fever which were notified
during the year was 1,074, as compared with 666 in 1936 and
1,057 in 1935. Of the 1,074 cases, 506 were males and 568 were
females, The case rate was 4.14 per 1,000 of the population. The
number of deaths from this disease was 4, of which one was the
death of a male, and 3 were deaths of females. The death rate
per 1,000 of the population was 0.02, and the fatality rate was
0.37 per cent. The number of patients removed to hospital was
872, which gives a removal rate of 81.19 per cent. The disease
was of a mild type and the fatality was the lowest since 1925.
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