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136
Enteric fever caused two deaths in the district, the average
for the past ten years being 5. With 11 deaths occurring among
the cases removed for treatment, wo got a total of 13, which
gives a death rate of .19 per 1,000, against .18 for the whole of
London
Diarrhœa caused 69 deaths in the Parish, against 91 last
year, but as the average of the past ton years is 53 the deaths,
though considerably below these of last year, are still much
above the average, The death rate is 1.01 per 1,000, against
.91 for London.
It will bo noticed that we are considerably above the average
of the London districts, for every separate zymotic disease.
Whooping cough and measles are not to any great extent
under the influence of measures which can bo adopted by
the Sanitary Authority, but diphtheria, enteric fever and
diarrhœa are looked upon as indices of the sanitary condition
of a district. Judged by this standard it will be seen
that the necessity for vigorous efforts to improve the relative
health of the district, undoubtedly exists.
For the purpose of checking the spread of diphtheria and
infective disease generally, several changes have been introduced
during the past year. Alive to the influence of unrecognised,
mild, and doubtful, diphtheritic cases in spreading infection, and
the difficulty in their diagnosis, arrangements were made by the
Vestry with the British Institute of Preventive Medicine, by
moans of which medical men practising in the district can
obtain a bactoriological examination free of charge in all doubtful
cases. Steam disinfection of the bedding, clothing, &c.,
in every case of notifiable disease with the exception of
erysipelas, was for the first time established in the district, and
as our own disinfector was only in course of construction arrangements
were made with the Parish of St. Luke to do the
necessary work. Those changes were introduced too late in the
year to have much effect on the statistics for 1897, but it may
be confidently anticipated that their effect will bo evident in
future years.