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women can be virtuous, temperate, and cleanly, in the wretched houses
where they are now necessitated to live; and the first step in the improvement
of their moral condition is to provide them with houses where the
charities of life may have some chance of being fostered. The children
then, instead of dying with an almost predestined regularity, will be better
cared for, and will participate with their parents in a happier prospect
of life.

The Mortality from Zymotic Diseases.
93. These have amounted to 238 (the deaths in hospital inclusive),
a remarkably small number for this District. The proportions were—72
Bloomsbury, 108 St. Giles South, 58 St. Giles North.
Small Pox. 94. We sustained 8 deaths from this malady, which is
less than our average number.
Scarlatina 95. caused only 5 deaths, all in Bloomsbury. Last year
we had 20, in 1870, 102, and in 1869, 48.
Fevers. 96. Only 9 deaths resulted from the three forms of fever.
In previous years we had 26, 31, and 37.
Whooping Cough. 97. This disease is usually very fatal in this District.
In 1872, we numbered 42 deaths. In preceding years we had 38,
16, and 83. We sustained, therefore, last year about an average mortality;
and this may be accounted for by the presumption that the
contagium in this affection differs in its nature from that, or those,
causing the miasmatic diseases. Deaths from whooping-cough are commonly
caused by intercurrent complications, e. g., bronchitis.
Diarrhoea. 98. Seventy-one deaths occurred from diarrhoea, and of
this number 52 were in the autumnal quarter. St. Giles South had the
largest proportion of deaths (30); 53 deaths occurred under one year of
age, and ten more between one and five years; the remaining eight were
among aged people. As usual, it is the mismanaged and neglected
infant that perishes from this fatal disease.
Inquest cases. 99. There were 86 inquest cases during the year: 13
of these were held on bodies of persons belonging to Bloomsbury, 51 to
St. Giles South, and 22 to St. Giles North. 20 occurred in the first quarter,
23 in the second, 19 in the third, and 24 in the last. The large
majority of the deaths were from natural disease. Some of the causes
of death require especial notice. For example, 18 infants are returned as