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7
of these, and other circumstances connected with the
appearance and disappearance of epidemic diseases, we
must admit our ignorance. There have been four epidemics
in the past year—scarlatina, diarrhœa, fever,
and small-pox. Scarlatina more than doubled the
average number of deaths from that disease. Diarrhœa
occurred in the hot weather, but almost limited its
ravages to the young.
In our own parish the total deaths from diarrhoea
were 47, in children under 5, 34. Typhus fever made its
appearance in the autumn, and was very threatening atone
time. In the month of September, Mr. Leonard had an
unusual number of new cases of this disease, but whether
from natural causes, or from the good effect of our
sanitary provisions, the outbreak came to a more speedy
close than it is usual. Although we cannot trace the
outbreaks of epidemics to neglect of the Laws of Health
alone, yet we can speak confidently as to the fact, that
where sanitary measures have been adopted in a locality,
the influence of epidemics is limited, and we have neither
so large a percentage of attacks, nor any thing like
so many deaths as when these laws were neglected. By
attention to the Laws of Health, we make ourselves less
liable to the attacks of disease, and when attacked our
constitutions are in a condition more readily to resist
and conquer the morbid influence. The outbreak of
small pox at one time threatened to be very virulent,
but the extension of vaccination, and its immediate employment
in cases where it had been neglected, arrested
the contagion or mitigated its virulence. In 111/5
children whose arms I examined at our schools, 67
were unvaccinated altogether, and 87 were doubtfully
protected; by vaccinating all these, we may fairly
conclude much mischief was prevented. We had three
deaths from small pox, but these occurred during the
present year, and are not included in my Returns.