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longed immunity from measles, whooping cough, or scarlet fever,
is sooner or later certain to be compensated by an increase proportionately
great, because during the years of immunity the
population susceptible to such diseases has continued to increase."
This principle should have been borne in mind in considering
the present case, for though it is true, as stated, that the
death rate from zymotic diseases was higher in 1875, and in the
fast half of 1876 than in the year 1874 (with which a comparison
was made to the disadvantage of the district,) this higher rate,
which still was not above the decennial rate, was caused, as the
same writer well puts it, " rather by an increase of population susceptible
from prior immunity than from unsanitary conditions "
as had been assumed. With a view to a fair and legitimate comparison
of the past and present death-rate from zvmotic diseases
in the Brompton district,
the following table has been drawn up,
showing the death-rate per 1,000 persons living from the seven
principal diseases during the ten years 1865-74 :—

or an average of 2.4 per 1,000.
The death-rate in 1875 was an average one of 2.4 per 1,000 and
the rate in 1876 up to the time of the discussion, was 2.5 per 1,000,
or .1 above the average, though far below the maximum 3.9. But
observe what followed. The deaths from these diseases which in
the first 33 weeks of 1876, were equivalent to 2.5 per 1,000 persons
living were for the whole year equivalent to only 1.7 per 1,000, or
.7 below the decennial average. In the last nineteen weeks of 1876
there were only four deaths from the principal zymotic diseases
in a population of 38,000 : and the figures during the current
year are not less favourable. Moreover, if we take the 12 years
1865-76, and divide them into two equal periods (the latter period
corresponding to my tenure of office), it appears that the deathrate
from zymotic diseases in the first six years was 2.73
per 1,000, and in the latter six years only 1.96. The error in
the statement that " the zymotic death-rate of the South Kensington
district is steadily increasing," arose from comparing
the mortality in average years (1875 and first half of 1876)
with that of an exceptionally low year, 1874. But it was
further stated that the zymotic death rate was too high for
such a suburb as South Kensington—a statement I could only
meet by a comparison which might naturally appear invidious;
but having calculated the death rate in 1875 from these diseases
in all Kensington, in the Brompton sub-district, including South
Kensington, and in the other parishes comprised in the Registrar