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18
Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
Zymotic diseases show the large decrease of 122 deaths compared with the preceding
year. All deaths caused by this class of diseases are considered preventible, consequently,
every death which takes place is said to be unnatural,—as unnatural as if the "unshielded
breast of the victim had been struck by the murderer's knife." This statement I think has
been expressed somewhat too broadly. It is very doubtful whether any sanitary means which
wo at present employ, will over annihilate the poisons which produce these diseases. Some
of them are found as prevalent and destructive in the healthiest localities, and in the best
drained and best maintained houses, as in localities and houses that aro just the reverse.
Sanitary measures, however, will improvo the health and vigour of the poople, and render
them far less susceptible to the reception of zymotic poisons, as well as enable them to bear
their attack more defiantly, and insure a speedier and more certain recovery; whilst under like
circumstances the weak and delicate would unresistingly be attacked and die. Want and
fatigue aro also active agents in the production of disease, undermining the constitution, and
setting into active operation certain functions of the body, whereby contagion is more readily
absorbed. Granting suitable sanitary conditions, then, the best preventive of epidemic diseases
when their "waves" are passing over us, is a generous diet, composure of mind, and
avoidance of excess either in mind or body. In fact, I know of no better advice than that
which is attributed to Carlyle, which he gave to his household in a time of Cholera. "All
we have to do," he says, "is to go on each of us doing his or her proper work, and avoiding
those things which are conducive to cholera, chief of which is the fear of it." Our future
prospect with regard to supply of food is certainly gloomy. Between the health of the people
and the health of cattle there is a closer connexion than is generally recognised. High price
of meat is a virtual prohibition of its use to tho poor. An increase in the price of food is
always followed by an increase in the mortality. It is said that those well versed in the
vital statistics of nations, can by the pathological results point out the years of high prices.
Tho health and strength of a people depends upon the supply of animal food which they
enjoy. " Well fod races have always been the energetic and dominant races." English
contractors for continental railways, have found it pay better to take the flesh eating
navvy with them, rather than to depend upon the weak and farinaceous subsisting native.
That a fatal and wide spread epidemic should have fallen upon our cattle need occasion little
surprise. They have been for a long time undergoing a training precisely adapted to
make them ready recipients of this or any other pestilence. Any one who has a knowledge of
tho sanitary, or rather unsanitary condition of our farm yards, and the cow-sheds or shippens
which are placed in their midst, will grant that no better means could have been
established to bring about the results now in operation. These sheds are surrounded by
dung heaps, and other refuse matter in every stage of decomposition, with ponds which
drain the whole, and from which the cattle often obtain their supply of water. Ventilation
varies from excess, to want of it. These conditions, with the stimulating food with
which they are fed, tho breeding in and in, and the mode of rearing calves, have brought
the cattle into a highly artificial state of existence. They have become deficient in vigour and
strength, and consequently lack the power of resisting disease. The Registrar General reveals
a strange fact, when he tells us that the death rate of Farmers between tho ages of 23 and
35 exceed by a little, that of Shoe-makers, Carpenters, Bakers, Grocers, Miners and Blacksmiths
at the same period of life. There must be some strong countervailing influence
which renders well-to-do, hale and sturdy Farmers more likely to die, than the pale