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27
SMALL-POX.
There was no death from small-pox, the corrected
decennial average number being one: nor was any case
of the disease notified. There had been a few notifications
but no deaths during the preceding three years. In London
105 cases were notified : the deaths were sixteen, the decennial
average number, corrected for increase of population, being
45. During the preceding ten years the deaths aggregated
429 only, the numbers being 9, 9, 0, 4, 8, 41, 206, 88, 55, and
9, in the successive years.
Reduction in Small-pox Mortality in London.—
The reduction in small-pox mortality has been very great
since the Asylums Board adopted the practice of removing
the sick to the country. The Board were first called upon to
deal extensively with the isolation of small-pox patients at
the latter part of 1870. During the ten years 1871-80, some
33,000 cases were admitted to their hospitals in London. The
deaths in these ten years were 15,539, including 7,912 in
1871. In May, 1881, the first Camp Hospital was established
at Darenth, and the practice of removing the sick out of
London, then initiated, was gradually perfected, so that since
1885 practically all cases coming under the care of the
Managers have been treated at the Hospital Ships and the
Convalescent Hospital at Gore Farm. During the ten years
1887-96, the cases admitted to these hospitals were 5,232,
and the deaths of London people were, as above stated,
429 only: 206 of the deaths were registered in 1893
in which year 2,376 cases were admitted to the Managers'
hospitals. Had the mortality during these ten years been
at the same rate as in the ten years 1871-80, the deaths, after
correction for increase of population, would have been, not 429
but 18,752. There has thus been a saving of 18,323 lives in the
ten years. This satisfactory result—admittedly due in large
measure to the removal of the sick from London—was the outcome
of the deputation of the Sanitary Authorities, and other