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52
Diarrheal Diseases.— The third quarter of the year is usually
distinguished as that in which epidemic diarrhoea is most prevalent, hut
in 1907 the annual mortality for that quarter for England and Wales
was only 0'43 per 1,000, being T88 per 1,000 lower than the decennial
average rate. The London average is 2'7, the 1907 rate was 0'46, and
is thus the lowest rate which has occurred in this quarter in the last 48
years, the next lowest being in 1894 and 1860, when it was T14. In
1894 the average temperature of the quarter was a little higher, but
there was 7-^ inches of rain, which fell on 52 days. The temperature in
1860 was lower than 59.2 (that of the 1907 third quarter), and there
was 9'6 inches of rain, also spread over 52 days.
In Westminster 27 deaths from this particular form of diarrhoea
occurred in the whole year as compared with 69, the average of the
years 1901-6, the highest number being 97, the lowest 47. There was
not so much reduction in other forms of enteritis, which is due probably
to cold, to improper feeding, and defective powers of digestion.

Eighteen deaths of the epidemic form were in children under 1,
four in children between 1 and 5 years, and five in older persons; of
the non-epidemic form there were nine under 1 and the remaining ten
were adults.
Thirteen of the epidemic deaths were in St. John's Ward, nine in
Victoria.

The average for the five years 1902-06 was for London 0.7, for
Westminster 0-32, for all forms of diarrhoea, per 1,000 population.