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4
Epidemic Diseases.
Wherever epidemic disease has assumed serious
proportions, the houses have been visited and the
necessary measures directed to stay the progress of the
disease. To ensure early information of the existence
of such disease, I have obtained weekly, from the books
of the Union Medical Officers, the names and addresses
of the patients in all such cases which come under their
notice.
Table III. shows the deaths from epidemic or preventable
diseases to have been, during the year ending
March last, more than 100 below the average of the five
previous years, and taking the increase of the population
into consideration, the proportionate mortality from
these diseases would be still lower. There has been
much less fever than during the previous year; it prevailed
to a considerable extent in Essex Street, in the
West Ward, during October and November last, but by
a prompt inspection of every house, and the issue of
orders to cleanse and purify, and other sanitary measures
which were effectually carried out, the epidemic was
speedily suppressed, and I, believe, there is now less
epidemic disease in the West than in any other Ward
in the Hamlet, except the North.
It is this class of diseases which it is in our power
to control and prevent by Sanitary measures, and that
they are so amenable experience has placed beyond
question. An illustration of the wisdom and economy in
the liberal adoption of such measures, will probably
produce an impression which, in my experience, no
argument or theory, however convincing, has yet
effected.
Daring the year ending March, 1868, there were 93
fever and 14 smallpox cases sent to the hospitals, at a