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6o
2.--Non-Notifiable Diseases.
Chickenpox.
1,250 cases of chickenpox were reported voluntarily.
Diarrhoea.
The number of corrected deaths registered from diarrhoea is 33, as
compared with yearly averages of 191.6, 219.4, 208.6, 140.2, 178.2,
77.4, and 55.8, during the seven quinquennia 1891-1895 (Parish),
1896-1900 (Parish), 1901-1905 (Borough), 1906-1910 (Borough),
1911-1915 (Borough), 1916-1920 (Borough), and 1920-1924
(Borough), respectively. All the 33 deaths registered during 1925
occurred amongst children under 5 years of age, and 27, i.e., 81.8
er cent., amongst infants under 1 year of age.
The slight increase in the number of registered diarrhoea deaths
during 1925, as compared with 23 registered deaths during 1924, is
insignificant and negligible, the average number for the past quinquennium
(1920-24) for the Borough being 55.8, which represents a
decrease (as compared with such quinquennium) of 59.1 per cent.
During 1925, the 4 ft. earth thermometer first registered 56°F. on
June 10th, rising to a maximum of 63.5°F. on July 27th, and remaining
at such maximum for four days, sinking to 56°F. again on October
14th. The interrelationship between this particular disease and the
4 ft. earth temperature has long been noted, so much so that the latter
is known as the critical earth temperature in connection with all
diarrhoeal diseases, being the temperature at which the particular germ
or germs that are the cause or causes of diarrhoeal diseases, especially
of infantile zymotic, or summer, diarrhoea, take on virulence and
become so fatal, chiefly to infants and young children*. Under such
a theory, the deaths from diarrhoea during 1925, should have been
larger in number in view of the readings of the 4 ft. earth thermometer.
There were other counteracting influences at work, and it is reasonable
and fair to attribute the decrease in diarrhoeal mortality (and corres
* Adults also suffer from zymotic or summer diarrhoea but rarely, if ever, fatally.