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Puerperal Fever.—Seventeen cases of puerperal fever were
notified during 1901, of which 7 died. The mortality is equivalent
to 41 per cent. of cases attacked. The attack rate per 1000 births is
2.6, and the mortality per 1000 births 1.1.
Plague.—Fortunately this disease did not appear in Hackney
during 1901.
Erysipelas.—There was a large increase of cases of this diseast
in the borough during 1901, no less than 324 being notified againse
230 in 1900. Of the total notified, 49 were removed to some general
Hospital. The deaths numbered 15, which is equivalent to a mortality
rate of 4.6 per cent of those attacked, and 0.06 per 1000 living.
Chicken-Pox.—Owing to the absence of small-pox from London for
many years, its differential diagnosis from chicken-pox was not so
well-known as was desirable, the result being that in the early stages
of the small-pox epidemic of last year several cases of small-pox were
mistaken for chicken-pox and the reverse. Under these circumstances
it was thought desirable by the Public Health Committee to make
chicken-pox a notifiable disease. This was done by a resolution of
the Borough Council on the 28th November, 1901, which came into
effect on the 1st January, 1902. Experience has justified the wisdom
of this step, for owing to the notification of chicken-pox several cases
of small-pox have been discovered which would probably have led to
an extension of the disease.
B.—NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Influenza.—This disease was less fatal during 1901 than the
year before, the deaths in these years being respectively 38 and 83.
The former number is equivalent to a death rate of 0.17 per 1000
living. The deaths were distributed in the months of the year as
below.