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58
In 1902 there were in the Summer quarter 01 deaths of infants
from Epidemic Diarrhœa. The Summer was a dry one (only
6*02 inches of rain fell), but it was also a cool Summer, the mean
maximum temperature of the four-foot earth thermometer never
rising higher than 57.5° F., and the temperature was above 58° F.
on onlv three successive weeks.
V
In 1903 there were in the Summer quarter 58 deaths of infants
from this disease. The Summer was a warmer one than that of
1902, the maximum temperature rising to 59° F., and being
above 58° F. on nine successive weeks. But the rainfall was
exceptionally heavy, as much as 15.56 inches of rain falling in the
quarter, as compared with 6 inches in 1902.
Briefly, therefore, 1901 was a hot, dry Summer; 1902 teas a cool,
dry Summer; and 1903 a warm, wet Summer. Both the latter
seasons were, therefore, unfavourable to the occurrence of epidemic
diarrhœa and 1901 was favourable, and these conditions in part
explain why tiie diarrhoea rate in 1901 was high and in 1902 and
1903 was low.
In 1904, the Summer quarter particularly under consideration,
the season was warm and dry. The temperature of our four-foot
earth thermometer in Wilmington Gardens rose to 61° F., and had
an average of 59.1° F., and was for nine successive weeks above
58° F. The rainfall was only 4.88 inches. The conditions were,
therefore, favourable to the occurrence of the disease, and, in point
of fact, 95 deaths of infants were registered as due to epidemic
diarrhoea during the quarter.