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The excess of mortality has fallen almost solely upon infants and young
persons. Last year the deaths under 20 years of age were 99, or exactly half
the total mortality; this year they have amounted to 137. The deaths above
20 years of age were 92, or rather less than in November last year. The
diseases which have occasioned the excess have been scarlet fever, of which
29 children have died ; diseases of the nervous system, including infantile convulsions,
of which 15 children died, and inflammatory affections of the lungs,
of which 32 children died. Measles have carried off 8 children. The weekly
deaths from scarlet fever have been respectively 7, 7, 8, and 7.
Coincidently with the high mortality is the increase in the sickness among
the poor, as gathered from the books kept by the Parochial Surgeons. Altogether,
1070 new cases were admitted under treatment, the weekly numbers
being 213,236, 307, and 314. Of these, 158 were cases of disease of the
zymotic or contagious class, 51 of them were cases of measles, which has
made some progress during November, and 21 were cases of scarlet fever.
There were 384 cases of acute pulmonary affections, the numbers entered
in the respective weeks being 50, 78, 115, and 141.
EDWARD BALLARD, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health.
42, Myddelton Square,
December Ini, 1858.