View report page

11
2.° Out of the 749 inmates of the workhouse who applied to the medical officers for
advice, only 12 per cent. were cases of zymotic disease, while as large a number
as 27 per cent. were suffering from diseases of the organs of respiration; the
low proportion in the former instance is due to the exclusion to a great degree
of children from the population, and the high proportion in the latter instance
to the tendency in this climate of persons beyond the middle age (of which the
population of the establishment largely consists) to such affections.*
3.° Of the 115 cases which occurred in the Infant Poor-house, it is to be observed
that only 2 were cases of zymotic diseases, and these did not spread, although
infectious, beyond the children first attacked. This fact must be coupled with
the consideration that the inhabitants of this house are taken from the class of
persons who, out-of-doors, furnished the cases of small pox, measles, scarlatina,
hooping cough, diarrhoea, &c., mentioned in the first column.† There was not a
single case of diarrhoea all the autumn ; and throughout the year there were only
2 cases, and those mild ones, of pulmonary ailment (exclusive of the 1 fatal case
of consumption.) The other diseases were mostly skin affections of various
kinds imported from without. There can be no question whatever that this
immunity from disease, and especially from zymotic disease, is due to the very
excellent arrangements in that establishment, the airiness of the dormitories,
and the active supervision which I know is exercised over the children by the
accomplished medical officer of the institution, Mr. Kesteven. The mortality
of the year was only 2.
4.° With respect to the out-door poor it is to be remarked, that the medical
districts which materially exceeded the mean of 20 per cent. of zymotic diseases,
were the Northern and North-Western. The former district adjoins the latter,
and practically includes but few patients beyond the railway bridge. The proportion
in the Northern was nearly 28 per cent ; in the North-Western 26 per
cent. The localities of principal zymotic sickness thus correspond pretty nearly
with the two Wards, Lower Holloway and Thornhill, (including Strouds Yale,)
where the mortality was observed to be highest from these maladies. Measles
have prevailed chiefly in the Northern and North-Western and South-Western
divisions; and hooping cough in the Northern and North-Western, especially
in the latter. Diarrhoea was also most extensively prevalent in the NorthWestern
division. It exceeded the mean of 11 per cent. also in the Northern,
South-Western. and South-Eastern divisions. The Northern, North-Western,
and South-Western districts also furnished the largest number of cases of fever.
This apparent unhealthiness of the North-Western division, when carefully
examined, is found to be due to Strouds Vale, and some other crowded streets,
in its immediate neighbourhood. The greatest number of cases of respiratory
disease, proportionally to all cases of every kind, was noticed in the NorthWestern
division, the South-Western closely approaching it. This again corresponds
with the high mortality from this class of diseases in Thornhill Ward.
20. It may be interesting also to know, that out of 212 cases of small-pox admitted
into the Small-Pox Hospital, 20 entered it from various parts of this parish ; of these,
3 died. They entered at various periods from the 1st to the 7th day of eruption,
most of these, however, on the 2nd or 3rd day. I am indebted for this information to
Mr. Marson, the Resident Medical Officer, who politely permitted me to examine the
hospital books.
SANITARY IMPROVEMENTS DURING THE YEAR.
21. The following statement exhibits the amount of work done by your inspectors,
and under their superintendence during the past year—in respect to house
*The mortality for the year was 105.
† I am informed that the mean duration of children in this establishment, exclusive of orphans, is
about six months.