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32 Annual Report of the medical officer of health-1869-70.
sumption. There was one fortunate fact however, and that was the curly drying up of the
milk. No disease happened during this period which we could with promptitude and cer
tainty refer to the use of this milk; we could hardly expect this, when wo reflet upon the
multifarious causes which are constantly in operation producing and modifying disease. There
were prevalent however at the time hud to a far greater extent than usual, affections of
the mouth and alimentary canal of children, and which many, with good reason, attributed
to that source. The fact was noticed, that in the cattle plague of 1865, as it increased in
extent, so typhoid fever increased in like proportion. In that year the cases of admission
in the London Fever Hospital were more than double that of every preceding year, and
more than treble that of the majority of years." "We should conclude," says Dr. Parkes,
"from general principles, that all diseases must affect the composition of flesh, and as the
composition of our own bodies is inextricably blended with the composition of the substances
wo eat, it must bo of the greatest importance for health to have those substanceas
pure as possible."
Epidemics of one kind or another are never long absent. The causes of many of them,
and the laws by which they are governed are as yet little understood; although some advance
has been lately made in that direction. They have their rise, their culmination, and
their decline. When once the tide of an epidemic has sot in, few and feeble are the means
wo posses that can stay its progress. There are in crowded towns so many fostering
causes, with a population so weakly and degenerate, that no resistance with any hope of
success can bo made. It is quite probable that the germs of epidemics are always present,
but not always those conditions by which they become developed. And, as yet, no real
and hearty effort has been made to rid ourselves of these formidable conditions Wo cannot
boast of the vast sums of money expended, of the unwearied labour made, of the ungrudging
self sacrifice offered in behalf of this cause. No mighty league has been formed with
its tracts and its missionaries, to deliver us from evils as perilous and as oppressive, as any
which have happily been swept away from the earth, by the united efforts of wise and
earnest men. Until now the highest skill and talent have been "directed to give range to
the famine, seed to the plague, and sway to the sword." The implements of war, by which
man's life may bo blown out, and his body shattered, have arrived at tolerable perfection
Only contrast for a moment the amount of money spent, the experiments unceasingly made
and the rewards and honours achieved in this department, with what has been done to pre
vent sickness, save life, and develope to the greatest extent the body and soul of man. Truly
no contrast is possible. The footprints all point towards destruction. Perhaps we may
venture to hope that the end of war amongst civilized nations approaches that we have
learned all that its terrible teaching can give, and, that henceforth and for over, man's ingenuity
and aim will bo expended in higher and holier purposes.
In the year that ended on Saturday, 2nd April, 1870, 10S0 deaths were registered in
this district; 1003 were male children, and 986 were female children. There was a decrease
of 163 compared with the preceding year.
The deaths registered were 1710; the deaths of the males were 896; and those of the
female 844. The deaths were in excess of the preceding year, and to the number of 239
The excess of births over deaths was 249.