§ Mr. LYLEasked the Minister of Health whether he can make any statement on the epidemic of diphtheria, scarlet fever, and influenza in London, giving the statistics for the last three months; whether he can furnish any explanation of the seriousness of the two first-named 2132W epidemics; and what steps he and his advisers are taking to cope with them?
§ Dr. ADDISONScarlet fever and diphtheria have been exceptionally prevalent in London this autumn, but both diseases are of an extremely mild type and the death rate in each case is far below that experienced in previous epidemics. I will send my hon. Friend a statement showing the number of notifications and deaths from these diseases in London during the past three months, and also the number of deaths from influenza registered during the same period. There is no evidence of the existence of epidemic influenza in this country at the present time. The origin of these waves of zymotic disease is obscure. Similar, although more fatal, outbreaks occurred in 1892 and 1893. I am glad to say that the existing machinery and the available hospital accommodation have proved equal to the task of coping with the present outbreaks.