[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]

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SECTION A.—STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA.

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Industry. The number of factories registered under the Factories Act at the year end was:—

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The monthly recordings are as shown below:— RAINFALL, 1938.

	JOSEPH HOOD RECREATION GROUND.		WEST BARNES PUMPING STATION.

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SUMMARY OF VITAL STATISTICS FOR 1938. (Registrar General's Figures).

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TABLE I.

	England and Wales		126 County Boro's and Great Towns including London	148 Smaller Towns (Resident Populations 25,000 to 50,000 at 1931 Census	London Administrative County	Merton and Morden

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The estimated population of the wards is as follows:—

Wards	Houses at mid. 1938	Estimated Population mid. 1988

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BIRTHS, 1938—DISTRIBUTION BY WARDS.

Wards	Live Births	Still Births	Total Births	Birth Rate

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The numbers in respect of the various wards were as shown in the following table:—

Wards	Total Births (Live and Still)	Births in Hospitals Nursing Homes, etc	Percentnge of Total Births which occurred in Hospitals, etc.

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TABLE II.

Year.	Estimated population.	Total Births.	Birth Rate.	Total Deaths.	Death Rate.

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The following table shows the death rates for each ward and the mean age at death:—

Wards	Deaths	Death Rate (crude)	Mean age at death

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Deaths in Institutions. More than half the total deaths occurred in hospitals and institutions. Two hundred and seventy-nine, representing 54% of the whole, took place in the following premises:—-

Institutions.	Deaths.

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The following table classifies these deaths by the sites affected:—

Group	Cancer of	Male	Female	Total

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The death rate for these diseases was accordingly 0.7 per thousand of the population:—

Year	Bronchitis	Pneumonia	Other Respiratory Diseases	Total	Death Rate

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Inquests. Inquests were held in the district on 38 deaths, 15 of which were in respect of residents. Verdicts were as follows:—

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TABLE VI. Causes of Death during the Year 1938—By Age Groups.

No.	Cause of Death	0—		1—		2—		5—		15—		25—		35—		45—		55—		bo—		75—		All Ages
No.	Cause of Death	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	M.	F.	Pers.

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TABLE VII. MATERNAL MORTALITY, 1924-38.

Year	Death rate per thousand total births
Year	Sepsis	Other causes	Total

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The infant mortality rates since 1921 are as follows:—

Year.	Deaths per 1,000 live births.	Year.	Deaths per 1,000 live births.

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Table VIII shows infant mortality classified by age and cause. Infant death rates for the various wards are given below based on the total of 945 live births which occurred during the year and which it was possible to allocate. These are slightly higher than if calculated on the registered births which totalled 990.

Wards	Live Births	Infant Deaths	Deaths per 1,000 live births

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TABLE-VIII.— INFANT-MORTALITY-DURING-THE-YEAR -1938. Deaths-classified-as-to-cause-and-age-at-death.

Cause-of-Death.	Under-1-week.	1—2-weeks.	2—3-weeks.	3—4-weeks.	Total-under-4-weeks.	4-weeks and-under-3-months	3-months-and-under-6-months	6-months-and-under-9-months	9-months and-under-12-months	Total deaths-und-er-1-year

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The figures relating to cases and visits in Merton and Morden during 1938 are as follows:—

Cases.	Visits.

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AMBULANCE CALLS, 1938.

1938	Calls received from Public	Calls received from neighbouring Brigades	Total Calls Received	Calls transferred to other Authorities	Calls answered by Own Ambulance

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CLINICS AND TREATMENT CENTRES. 1.—Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics (provided by the Council).

Centre	Clinic	Times of Clinic

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2.—Diphtheria Immunisation Clinics (provided by the Council).

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3.—School Clinics (provided by Surrey Education Committee).

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4.—Tuberculosis Dispensaries (provided by Surrey County Council).

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TABLE IX. CASES ADMITTED TO THE WANDLE VALLEY ISOLATION HOSPITAL DURING THE YEAR 1938.

Disease	Beddington and Wallington		Coulsdon and Purley		Merton and Morden		Mitcham
Disease	Cases	Deaths	Cases	Deaths	Cases	Deaths	Cases	Deaths

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TABLE X. Attendances at Maternity Clinics, 1938.

Centre	No. on Register	Attendances		Sessions	Average attendances per session
Centre	No. on Register	Primary	Total	Sessions	Average attendances per session

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TABLE XI. Attendances at Infant Consultation Clinics, 1938.

Centre	No. on Register	Attendances		Sessions	Average attendances per session
Centre	No. on Register	Primary	Total	Sessions	Average attendances per session

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TABLE XII. Attendances at Special Toddlers Clinics (2-5 Years), 1938.

Centre	Routine examinations	Observation attendances	Total attendances	Sessions	Average attendances per session

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TABLE XIII. Attendances at all Infant Welfare Clinics, 1938. (Infant Consultation and Special Toddler).

Centre	No. on Register	Attendances		Sessions	Average attendance per session
Centre	No. on Register	* Primary	Total	Sessions	Average attendance per session

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TABLE XIV. Attendances at all Centres over last 10 Years.

Year	No. of Infants attending during year	No. of Women attending Maternity Clinics	ATTENDANCES			Grand Total
			Infants		Maternity
			Primary under 1 yr.	Total	Maternity

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TABLE XV. CHILDREN ATTENDING CENTRES DURING 1938. By Age Groups.

Children born in	MERTON CENTRE			MORDEN CENTRE			RAYNES PARK CENTRE PARISH HALL CENTRE						ALL CENTRES
Children born in	Number attended	Attendances	Average attendances per child	Number attended	Attendances	Average attendances per child	Number attended	Attendances	Average attendances per child	Number attended	Attendances	Average attendances per child-	Number attended	Attendances	Average attendances per child

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TABLE XVI. Number of Children under 1 Year and Expectant Mothers Attending the Centres in Relation to the Registered Births.

Year	Registered births	Infants under 1 year		Mothers who attended either Ante-Natally or Post-Natally.
Year	Registered births	Primary attendances	Percentage of registered births	Number attended	Percentage of registered births

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TABLE XVII. Milk Grants, 1938.

Wards.	Free Milk.			Half-price.
Wards.	Individuals	Families	Pints Supplied	Individuals	Families	Pints Supplied

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TABLE XVIII . Attendances at Dental Clinic, 1938.

Centre referred from.	No. who attended during year.	No. of attendances made.

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TABLE XIX. DENTAL SCHEME, 1938—Operations Performed.

Extractions.

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The following figures indicate the work undertaken by the Council's midwife during the year:—

Gases conducted—		Primip.	Multip.	Total.

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Visits made—

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The report on the chemical and bacteriological examination of a sample taken from a domestic tap in Morden on the 19th May, 1938, was as follows:—

(1) CHEMICAL.	Parts per 100,000	Grains per Gallon.

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PASTEURISED MILK—32 SAMPLES.

Examination.	Over 100,000 per mil.	Under 100,000 per mil.	Present.	Absent.	Satisfactory.	Unsatisfactory.

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ORDINARY MILK—24 SAMPLES.

Examination.	Over 100.000 per mil.	Under 100,000 per mil.	Present.	Absent.	Satisfactory.	Unsatisfactory.

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Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928. The above-mentioned Act is administered by the Surrey County Council and during 1938 samples were obtained by the County Inspectors and submitted to the public analyst as follows:—

Articles.	Analysed.			Adulterated or Deteriorated.
Articles.	Formal.	Informal.	Total.	Formal.	Informal.	Total.

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The following list indicates the nature of the industries carried on at the large factories in the district:—

Trade.	No.	Trade.	No.

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SECTION D—HOUSING.

Wards.	Flats.	Houses.	Total Dwellings.

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Details of the overcrowding and decrowding in the individual Wards are given in the following table:—

Wards.	Dwellings overcrowded at end of 1937.	Number found to be overcrowded during 1938.	N umber decrowded during the year.	Remaining overcrowded at end of 1938.

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FACTORIES ACT. 1.—Inspections.

	Number of
Premises.	Inspections.	Written Notices.	Occupiers prosecuted.
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)

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2.—Defects Found.

Particulars.		Number of Defects.			Number of defects in respect of which Prosecutions were
Particulars.		Found.	Remedied.	Referred to H.M. Inspector	Number of defects in respect of which Prosecutions were
(1)		(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)

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OUTWORK IN UNWHOLESOME PREMISES. (Section 108 of Act of 1901; Section III of Act of 1937).

Nature of Work.	Instances.	Notices served.	Prosecutions.
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)

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TABLE XX. SCARLET FEVER—MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION.

1938	Wards.									Total.
1938	Abbey.	Bushey Mead.	Central.	Morden.	Park.	Ravensbury.	Raynee Park.	St. Hel.ier.	West Barnes.	Total.

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The incidence in the various wards was as follows:—

Wards.	Cases.	Incidence per 1,000 population.

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TABLE XXI. SCARLET FEVER—MULTIPLE CASES OCCURRING IN DOMESTIC DWELLINGS.

Wards.	Total cases in houses in each Ward.	No. of houses in which occurred.			No. of houses with cases.
Wards.	Total cases in houses in each Ward.	1 case	2 cases.	3 cases.	No. of houses with cases.

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TABLE XXII. INCIDENCE AND FATALITY OF SCARLET FEVER OVER LAST 20 YEARS.

Year.	Population.	No. of cases.	Incidence rate per 1,000 population.	No. of deaths.	Percentage of deaths to cases.

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TABLE XXIII. DIPHTHERIA, .1938—WARD INCIDENCE.

Wards.	Cases.	Rate per 1,000 population 1938.

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TABLE XXIV. DIPHTHERIA—MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION, 1938.

1938	Wards.									Total.
1938	Abbey.	Bushey Mead. J	Central.	Morden.	Park.	Ravensbury.	Raynes Park.	St. Helier.	We6t Barnes.	Total.

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TABLE XXV. DIPHTHERIA—MULTIPLE CASES OCCURRING IN DOMESTIC DWELLINGS, 1938.

Wards.	Total cases.	No. of houses with				No. of houses with cases.
Wards.	Total cases.	1 Case.	2 Cases.	3 Cases.	4 Cases.	No. of houses with cases.

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TABLE XXVI. DIPHTHERIA—INCIDENCE BY AGE GROUPS.

	AGE GROUPS											Total all Ages
	Under 1 year	1-2 years	2-3 years	3-4 years	4-5 years	5-10 years	10-15 years	15-25 years	25-35 years	\| 35-45 years	Over 45 years	Total all Ages

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TABLE XXVII. PERSONS IMMUNISED AT CLINICS DURING 1938.

Wards.	Age Groups			Total.
Wards.	0-5 years	5-15 years	15 and over	Total.

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TABLE XXVIII. PERSONS IMMUNISED BY PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS 1938.

Wards	Age Groups			Total
	0-5 years	5-15 years	15 and over

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TABLE XXIX. CHILDREN IMMUNISED IN SCHOOLS, 1938.

School	Incomplete	Complete

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The number immunised since the inauguration of the Public Clinics in 1934 was as follows:—

	At Clinics.	By Doctors.	In Schools.	Total.

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TABLE XXX. INCIDENCE AND FATALITY OF DIPHTHERIA, 1919-1938.

Year.	Population.	No. of cases.	Incidence rat-e per 1,000 population.	No. of deaths.	Percentage of deaths to cases.

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The main facts relating to these cases are as follows:—

Para.	Day of Onset.	Clinical Notes.	Admitted to Hospital.	Result.

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Continued from previous page...

Cases.
Notified.	Treated		Vision Unimpaired.	Vision Impaired.	Total Blindness.	Death.
Notified.	\| At Home	In Hosp.	Vision Unimpaired.	Vision Impaired.	Total Blindness.	Death.

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TABLE XXXI. INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NOTIFICATION DEATHS AND DISTRIBUTION, 1938.

Disease	Gases Notified	Case rate per 1,000 Population	Deaths among notified cases	Percentage of deaths to cases	Distribution of cases Wards									No. of cases removed to hospital	Percentage of cases removed to hospital
Disease	Gases Notified	Case rate per 1,000 Population	Deaths among notified cases	Percentage of deaths to cases	Abbey	Bushey Mead	Central	Morden	Park	Ravensbury	Ravnes Park	St. Helier	West Barnes	No. of cases removed to hospital	Percentage of cases removed to hospital

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TABLE XXXII. NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (other than Tuberculosis) by Age Groups during the year 1938.

Disease.	TOTAL CASES NOTIFIED.												Total Cases at all Ages.
Disease.	Under 1 year	1-2	2-3	3-4	4-5	5-10	10-15	15-25	25-35	35-45	45-65	65 and over	Total Cases at all Ages.

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TABLE XXXIII. MONTHLY INCIDENCE OP INFECTIOUS DISEASE, 1938.

Disease.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	April	May	June .	July	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Totals

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. These additions were:—

	Males.	Females.	Total

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TABLE XXXIV. TUBERCULOSIS REGISTER AT 31st DECEMBER, 1938. AND REGISTERED NUMBER OF TUBERCULOUS PERSONS PER 1,000 POPULATION AT MID-YEAR.

Wards.	Registered at Decemb		3r 31st.	At Mi	d-Year.
Wards.	Pulmonary.	Non. Pulmonary.	Total.	Number on Register.	Number on Register per 1,000 population.

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TABLE XXXV. DEATHS DUE TO TUBERCULOSIS, 1938.

Ages Years.	Pulmonary.		Non-Pulmonary.		Totals.

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TABLE XXXVI. TUBERCULOSIS—New Cases, Age and Sex, Distribution and manner of Admission to Register, 1938.

Age Groups.	Primary Notifications (" A ").				Cases transferred from other districts.				Cases brought to notice otherwise than by notification and transfer.				Total new cases.
Years.	Pulmonary.		Non-Pulmonary.		Pulmonary.		Non-Pulmonary.		Pulmonary.		Non-Pulmonary.		Total new cases.
Years.	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F

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Merton and Morden 1938

70 tables in this report

SECTION A.—STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA.

Industry. The number of factories registered under the Factories Act at the year end was:—

The monthly recordings are as shown below:— RAINFALL, 1938.

SUMMARY OF VITAL STATISTICS FOR 1938. (Registrar General's Figures).

TABLE I.

The estimated population of the wards is as follows:—

BIRTHS, 1938—DISTRIBUTION BY WARDS.

The numbers in respect of the various wards were as shown in the following table:—

TABLE II.

The following table shows the death rates for each ward and the mean age at death:—

Deaths in Institutions. More than half the total deaths occurred in hospitals and institutions. Two hundred and seventy-nine, representing 54% of the whole, took place in the following premises:—-

The following table classifies these deaths by the sites affected:—

The death rate for these diseases was accordingly 0.7 per thousand of the population:—

Inquests. Inquests were held in the district on 38 deaths, 15 of which were in respect of residents. Verdicts were as follows:—

TABLE VI. Causes of Death during the Year 1938—By Age Groups.

TABLE VII. MATERNAL MORTALITY, 1924-38.

The infant mortality rates since 1921 are as follows:—

TABLE-VIII.— INFANT-MORTALITY-DURING-THE-YEAR -1938. Deaths-classified-as-to-cause-and-age-at-death.

The figures relating to cases and visits in Merton and Morden during 1938 are as follows:—

AMBULANCE CALLS, 1938.

CLINICS AND TREATMENT CENTRES. 1.—Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics (provided by the Council).

2.—Diphtheria Immunisation Clinics (provided by the Council).

3.—School Clinics (provided by Surrey Education Committee).

4.—Tuberculosis Dispensaries (provided by Surrey County Council).

TABLE IX. CASES ADMITTED TO THE WANDLE VALLEY ISOLATION HOSPITAL DURING THE YEAR 1938.

TABLE X. Attendances at Maternity Clinics, 1938.

TABLE XI. Attendances at Infant Consultation Clinics, 1938.

TABLE XII. Attendances at Special Toddlers Clinics (2-5 Years), 1938.

TABLE XIII. Attendances at all Infant Welfare Clinics, 1938. (Infant Consultation and Special Toddler).

TABLE XIV. Attendances at all Centres over last 10 Years.

TABLE XV. CHILDREN ATTENDING CENTRES DURING 1938. By Age Groups.

TABLE XVI. Number of Children under 1 Year and Expectant Mothers Attending the Centres in Relation to the Registered Births.

TABLE XVII. Milk Grants, 1938.

TABLE XVIII . Attendances at Dental Clinic, 1938.

TABLE XIX. DENTAL SCHEME, 1938—Operations Performed.

The following figures indicate the work undertaken by the Council's midwife during the year:—

Visits made—

The report on the chemical and bacteriological examination of a sample taken from a domestic tap in Morden on the 19th May, 1938, was as follows:—

PASTEURISED MILK—32 SAMPLES.

ORDINARY MILK—24 SAMPLES.

Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928. The above-mentioned Act is administered by the Surrey County Council and during 1938 samples were obtained by the County Inspectors and submitted to the public analyst as follows:—

The following list indicates the nature of the industries carried on at the large factories in the district:—

SECTION D—HOUSING.

Details of the overcrowding and decrowding in the individual Wards are given in the following table:—

FACTORIES ACT. 1.—Inspections.

2.—Defects Found.

OUTWORK IN UNWHOLESOME PREMISES. (Section 108 of Act of 1901; Section III of Act of 1937).

TABLE XX. SCARLET FEVER—MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION.

The incidence in the various wards was as follows:—

TABLE XXI. SCARLET FEVER—MULTIPLE CASES OCCURRING IN DOMESTIC DWELLINGS.

TABLE XXII. INCIDENCE AND FATALITY OF SCARLET FEVER OVER LAST 20 YEARS.

TABLE XXIII. DIPHTHERIA, .1938—WARD INCIDENCE.

TABLE XXIV. DIPHTHERIA—MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION, 1938.

TABLE XXV. DIPHTHERIA—MULTIPLE CASES OCCURRING IN DOMESTIC DWELLINGS, 1938.

TABLE XXVI. DIPHTHERIA—INCIDENCE BY AGE GROUPS.

TABLE XXVII. PERSONS IMMUNISED AT CLINICS DURING 1938.

TABLE XXVIII. PERSONS IMMUNISED BY PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS 1938.

TABLE XXIX. CHILDREN IMMUNISED IN SCHOOLS, 1938.

The number immunised since the inauguration of the Public Clinics in 1934 was as follows:—

TABLE XXX. INCIDENCE AND FATALITY OF DIPHTHERIA, 1919-1938.

The main facts relating to these cases are as follows:—

Continued from previous page...

TABLE XXXI. INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NOTIFICATION DEATHS AND DISTRIBUTION, 1938.

TABLE XXXII. NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (other than Tuberculosis) by Age Groups during the year 1938.

TABLE XXXIII. MONTHLY INCIDENCE OP INFECTIOUS DISEASE, 1938.

. These additions were:—

TABLE XXXIV. TUBERCULOSIS REGISTER AT 31st DECEMBER, 1938. AND REGISTERED NUMBER OF TUBERCULOUS PERSONS PER 1,000 POPULATION AT MID-YEAR.

TABLE XXXV. DEATHS DUE TO TUBERCULOSIS, 1938.

TABLE XXXVI. TUBERCULOSIS—New Cases, Age and Sex, Distribution and manner of Admission to Register, 1938.