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1885-94 prevailed throughout the year 1896, 6854 lives would
have been sacrificed in addition to those which were actually
lost by death. In the year 1896 there was as compared
with the decennial average, an excess of 938 deaths from
measles, 797 from diphtheria. 256 from whooping-cough, 107
from diarrhœal disease, 485 from cancer, 151 from premature
birth and 108 from accident. Under each of the other
headings in the table the mortality in 1896 was below the
average. This was notably the case in regard to diseases of
the respiratory system, the deaths referred to which were
5030 below the decennial average.
Zymotic Diseases.
The number of deaths in St. Olave's from ''the seven
principal Zymotic diseases," viz., small-pox, scarlatina,
diphtheria, enteric fever, measles, whooping-cough and
diarrhoea, was 54, or a rate of 4.54 per 1,000 persons living
(last year it was 2.45). The corresponding rate for London
was 3.11.
Small-pox.—There was no case of small-pox notified, and
no death. In London there were 225 notifications, and
9 deaths.
The statistics of all epidemics of small-pox show the
enormous value of vaccination and re-vaccination. Notwithstanding
this the proportion of children that are not
vaccinated has been increasing year by year since 1881,
both in the Metropolis and the rest of England. In 1881
the proportion of children unaccounted for in regard to
vaccination (including cases postponed) in the