View report page

173
country in 1870-1, and which made itself felt in almost every part
of Europe, naturally produced a sensible effect on the mortality
of the next decenium, but it is to be noted that its effect was
much more serious in London than outside the metropolis. The
mortality there, though raised higher than in the previous
decennium, did not reach the point at which it stood in the
decennium before that. In London, on the other hand, the
mortality largely exceeded that of the two previous decennia.
Again it is to be observed that though in the next decennium the
mortality fell, both in England generally and in the metropolis,
the fall was very different in its extent; outside the metropolis it
was vastly greater than within it. It is only since the year 1885
that the condition of London has been at all comparable as
regards the amount of Small-Pox mortality with the rest of the
country. The corresponding figures for the years 1887-94 to
those given above are as follows :—
England & Wales,
excludingLondon.
London.
1887-94 2.0 1.0
In the Report of the Royal Commission of 1881, already
alluded to, suggestions were made with regard to notificatian and
isolation which have since been largely carried into effect. As we
have said, it was considered proved that the existing Small-Pox
Hospitals had caused a spread of the disease in their neighbourhood.
We cannot but think that this may in some measure
account for the greatly increased mortality from Small-Pox in
London during the 1871-72 epidemic as compared with the rest
of the country. It is true that the statistics relating to England
and Wales outside the metropolis include those of other large
towns where the same evil was present, but it probably did not
exist then in so aggravated a form, and the effect may be
neutralised by the statistics relating to smaller towns and rural