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The form of fever which has been met with is "Typhoid," a distinct disease characterized
by certain specific changes in the glands of the intestines. This form is less
infectious than true Typhus. Out of all the cases of continued Fever admitted into
the London Fever Hospital only 15 were Typhus while 180 were Typhoid. From the
week ending May 1st to the end of the year, although 132 cases of Typhoid entered
the Hospital, only a single case of Typhus was received, and that not strongly marked.
Recent researches appear to shew that Typhus mainly originates in overcrowding and
destitution, while Typhoid is connected more or iess closely with the emanations from
decomposing organic matter and organic impurities in the water that is drunk. The
very existence of this disease may indicate to us that although much has been done to
purify the atmosphere about our habitations and to improve the condition of our
drinking water, there still remains much to be effected in the same direction.
I reserve my remarks upon Diphtheria to the close of the Report.
9. Tubercular diseases, including Pulmonary Consumption, carried off during the
year 408 persons, or 15 4 out of every hundred that died from all causes. This proportion
is unusually low; and there can be no fallacy about it, inasmuch as the actual
number is less than in previous years. The reduction that took place, however, was
only observed in the West Sub-district.
10. Consumption alone occasioned 316 of these deaths, or 11.9 per cent. In the
East Sub-district, the mortality from Phthisis was higher than in either 1856 or 1857;
the improvement observed having reference only to the West Sub-district.
11. The mortality from acute and chronic pulmonary affections (exclusive of
Consumption) was unusually high, especially in the first and fourth quarters of the
year. It will be recollected that the close of 1857 was marked by a slight epidemic
of influenza, which had not entirely subsided when the new year commenced; and
the deaths in the fourth quarter were concentrated almost into the last six weeks
of the year, commencing with the cold weather at the end of November. Of the
494 deaths from these diseases, 238 were of males and 256 of females, constituting
together 18.6 per cent, of the deaths from all causes. In the West Sub-district there
were 264 deaths, or 20.1 per cent. of all deaths; and in the East Sub-district 230, or
17.2 p;r cent. of all deaths : in each case the mortality was higher than prevailed in
either of the two previous years.
12. Table I. shows the age at death in 2,641 instances. It will be observed that
of this number 1,238, or 46 8 per cent, of all deaths, occurred under five years of
nge. Of these children, 648, or more than half, died during the first year of their
existence, and 276 before they had completed their second year. The diseases which
have been most fatal to children may be thus arranged: —
b. Tubercular Diseases.
c. Diseases of the Organs of Respiration.
AGE AT DEATH.
Deaths.
Diseases of the organs of res261
piration of an acute character
Hooping-cough 149
Convulsions, and other cerebral
affections 105
Measles 92
Scarlet fever 82
Diarrhoea 80
Deaths.
Atrophy 74
Debility from premature birth 47
Hydrocephalus 43
Violent causes 40
Epidemic sore-throat 33
(Diphtheria
Teething 30
Tabes mesenterica 27