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cent. of the total deaths. This disease was most
prevalent during the second quarter of the year,
causing 40 deaths. The deaths from diarrhoea
numbered 39, and were 31 below the average.
Scarlet fever caused seven deaths in the Parish and
23 in various hospitals. From diphtheria, including
membranous croup, there were ten deaths in
Bermondsey and ten in various hospitals. There
was no death from small-pox. One death was
attributed to typhus, but from my personal enquiries
respecting the case I think there is room for doubt
as to the accuracy of the diagnosis. From enteric
fever there were five deaths in Bermondsey, and one
in a hospital. The mortality from each of the
diseases of this class was below the decennial
average, but too much importance must not be
attached to this, as the number of cases of infectious
disease, which are removed to hospitals, increases
year by year, and we have had no information of
the deaths in these institutions for so long a period
as ten years.
In the class of septic diseases there were 28
deaths, or 1.8 per cent, of the total; 12 deaths of
children under one year of age were attributed to
syphilis, being more than double the number
referred to this cause in the previous year. Erysipelas
caused two deaths, which is a very small proportion
to the large number of cases notified. Five
persons were said to have died from the intemperate
use of alcoholic stimulants, but that number
probably represents a mere fraction of the truth.
viii