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115
Camberwell and St. George's, but chiefly in Peckham,
during the first quarter of the year; which was the continuation
of an epidemic which broke out in the last quarter
of 1888. Altogether 193 deaths were due to this disease, of
which 52 belonged to Camberwell, 86 to Peckham, and 55
to St. George's; and of which 126 occurred in the first
*
quarter of the year, 38 in the second, 21 in the third, and 8
in the fourth.
Hooping cough caused 140 deaths against 160 in 1888:
of these one occurred in Dulwich, 57 in Camberwell, 43 in
Peckham, and 48 in St. George's. Forty-one happened in
the first quarter, 44 in the second, 24 in the third, and 40
in the fourth.
The deaths from scarlet fever amounted to 37. In
1888 they were 105. Of these, 11 occurred in Camberwell,
12 in Peckham, and 14 in St. George's. The prevalence
of the disease was fairly uniform through the year.
To diphtheria were assigned 76 deaths, 11 more than in
1888. Of these 2 occurred in Dulwich, 33 in Camberwell, 22
in Peckham, and 19 in St. George's. Fourteen deaths
occurred in the first quarter, 12 in the second, 26 in the
third, and 24 in the fourth. As the Registrar General
points out in his Annual Summary, the deaths assigned to
this disease in London have increased remarkably of late
years. But to what this increase is due is not clear. There
is no doubt that, to a large extent, deaths which used to be
returned as deaths from croup, laryngitis, tracheitis, cynanche
and other such affections were really caused by unrecognised
diphtheria, and that the apparent increase is due, to some
extent, to more accurate diagnosis. At the same time there
can be no reasonable doubt that the disease has largely