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from the poorest of the population of the Borough, coming under the treatment of the
Poor Law medical officers now-a-days shew a marked decrease when compared with
the numbers of forty years ago. During the five years 1859, 1861,1862,1863 and 1864,
the average number of cases treated amounted to 7,283 yearly, as compared with an
average of 4.100 for the years 1893 to 1899 inclusive. During the former period on an
average 180 cases of small-pox, 166 of measles 185 of scarlet fever, 117 of whooping
cough, 71 of erysipelas, 529 of diarrhoea, 181 of rheumatism, 6 of cancer, 214 of
tuberculosis including consumption, 839 of various forms of respiratory disease, and no
less than 1,032 of "fever" came under the care of the district medical officers.
During the latter period the averages have been for measles 64 cases, scarlet fever 32,
whopping cough 47, erysipelas 21, diarrhcea 125, rheumatism 256, cancer 22,
tuberculosis 178, diseases of the respiratory organs 1,069, and "fever" 31 cases. Only
two cases of small-pox have been notified by the district medical officers during the
seven years ended 1899. The reasons for the decrease in the number of cases
coming under the treatment of the district medical officers, are, I believe, mainly
as follows:—decrease in the amount of poverty, improved conditions as to trade
and greater cheapness of food, the provision of hospital accommodation for
infectious cases and increased facilities for obtaining treatment at the various hospitals
in the Metropolis, and the great sanitary improvements which have been effected as to
the conditions under which the people work and live.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The infectious diseases classed under the heading "Zymotic," (see Appendix,
table VI.) caused during the year 1900, 801 deaths, being 31.0 per cent. of the total
number of deaths from all causes, and the death-rate was 6.6 per 1,000 inhabitants.
Of these deaths, 454 were of children under five years of age. The deaths
from measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, including membranous croup, whooping
cough, enteric fever (including continued fever), and diarrhcea numbered 874. There
were no deaths from small-pox. The zymotic death-rate due to the diseases abovementioned,
which are termed the principal zymotic diseases, was 31 per 1000
inhabitants, as compared with 3.6 in 1899, 4.1 in 1898, 4.2 in 1897, 4.3 in 1896, and
3'8 in 1895. A comparison of the zymotic death-rates of London and Shoreditch
with its sub-districts, is contained in table VII. (see Appendix)