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9
the manner of spreading, and in reply to a circular sent to
those medical practitioners whom I considered to have the
largest practices, the opinion was almost universally expressed
that the disease was spread through the atmosphere, but that it
also was capable of being spread from person to person. The
attaoks of animals some time before man became affeoted is
somewhat suggestive, especially as the same occurred in the
previous epidemio. That animals can originate a disease and
spread it to man is undoubted, but how far this occurred as
regards influenza, is not yet shown. This could best be
disoussed from evidence afforded in countries first affected,
which I am not aware has as yet been done. Several deaths,
however, occurred since this report was written, the last
was, as before stated, on April 30, 1890.
Statistics.— The number of deaths in the district is below
the total for 1888, as only 3,352 deaths were registered in
1889, against 3,646 in 1888. The exceedingly low death-rate
(15.5 per 1,000) for that year no longer remains the lowest on
record, as for 1889 the very low rate of 13.6 per 1,000
inhabitants has been reached, against 17.5 for all London, and
17.9 for the whole of England and Wales. This latter I
ascertained from the Quarterly Returns. The number of
deaths is the smallest recorded in Hackney since 1880, so that
as a very large inorease of population has taken place since
then, it is evident, whether the population be accurately
calculated or not, the death-rate must be muoh lower than
hitherto. The calculated increase in the population is greater
than in 1888, as the proportion of empty houses has decreased,
and the building of new houses has continued at about the
usual rate. The number of inhabited houses in 1881 was
returned at the census as being 27,503, and is now 36,500, or
thereabouts.