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77
From Table V. we see that the total number of deaths
from infectious diseases and diarrhoea, 183, was rather
greater than in 1877 or 1876, but less than in 1875, and
less than the average number for the last ten years. It was
also much less proportionately than the number for London
generally, for, whereas the deaths from these diseases were
4.1 per thousand of the population in London, in this Parish
they were only 2 per thousand of the population.
When we look at these diseases separately, we find that
the number of deaths from small-pox, measles, scarlet fever,
and diphtheria have all decidedly decreased, being in no case
half as many as last year, and being in each case far below
the average number for the last ten years, in scarlet fever
very remarkably so, for there were only nine deaths in the
Parish from that disease during the year, whereas the
average number is nearly 43.
The diseases, the deaths from which are more numerous
than in 1877, are whooping cough, fever, and diarrhœa.
Whooping cough has been epidemic, having caused more
deaths in the Parish than in any year since 1872; this disease
caused in London 1,665 deaths during the year more than
the average number.
Fever (chiefly enteric, there being only 4 cases registered
as typhus) caused more deaths than last year, but less than
in either 1875 or 1876. This, however, is partly explained
thus: out of the 24 registered deaths, from enteric (typhoid)
fever, 6 were those of non-parishioners in St. George's
Hospital, one that of a nurse in the same Institution, four
were imported cases, one was that of a vagrant, and one a
doubtful case, registered as "Gastritis."
With regard to the death of a nurse in St. George's
Hospital from enteric fever, I would remark that, although
cases of this disease are received into every general hospital
in London, and mixed with the other patients, with the idea