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14
Parish of Saint George the Martyr, Southward,

Hitherto zymotic diseases have headed the death list; in the year past they have fallen
into the second place: they were exceeded by the deaths from lung diseases. The former
are considered especially preventable; over the latter, depending as they do upon the state
of the weather, we do not possess that control. From zymotic diseases there are recorded
about half a million of deaths annually in England and Wales, and it is believed that over
one-third of these need not occur, was the knowledge we now possess about their causes
and operation carried out into practice throughout the land. If these 125,000 attain their
final record in the death register, how many are there who suffer but do not die (Simon) ?
Those who recover rarely reach the state of health enjoyed previous to the attack. What
numbers suffer from partial deafness: as a result, which disqualifies them for the performance
of high and important duties for which their intellectual powers gave promise. In some,
the brain is damaged, and fits and idiotcy follow, than which, scarcely anything more distressing
can happen to the family group. Their evil effects may also be considered in a
business point of view, causing as they often do a serious injury to trade, and in some of its
divisions almost putting a stop to it. G. W. Hastings, Esq., the President of the Council
of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, stated in an address that
he delivered to the British Medical Association, that in Worcester, an epidemic of small-pox
broke out, which caused such fear and alarm, that the tradesmen experienced great loss
from their customers carrying their demands to the neighbouring towns; dreading to enter
Worcester. Precisely the same thing happened at Newmarket last year; the shops were
deserted; and the market-place was never seen so forsaken within the memory of the
living. The commemoration of the 5th of November last year was passed over at Lewes