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absolutely safe. The practical conclusion is, that the disease must be anticipated
by active measures directed to its favorite haunts. This is being
done, as far as our sanitary staff permits, by searching out overcrowded
tenements and kitchens unhealthily occupied as sleeping rooms, and by
taking measures which are needful to enforce obedience to the sanitary
clauses of the Acts of Parliament, which it is your province to administer.
I have already been called upon to advise the Sanitary Committee on the
matter of the new temporary ward for typhus cases at the Fever Hospital,
and it may not be amiss to place again on record my opinion, that no
more harm is likely to arise from it to the neighbourhood than
has resulted from the established wards. The distance of the new
ward, even from the nearest part of the neighbouring premises, is such
as the poison of typhus has, so far as I know, never been able to traverse.
I have stated that, in such seasons as this, typhus may occur anywhere,
but the residents in the neighbourhood of the Hospital are in no greater
danger from it than those who reside more remotely. You are aware
that I have for some years kept a register of every death that has happened
in each house in the Parish, and it demanded no additional labour
to demonstrate, as I did, to the Committee (and as I should be happy to
do to any one anxious for accurate information in the matter) that the
opinion I have expressed is fully borne out by experience. The erection
is unsightly, and calculated to originate gloomy thoughts; but with all
this, as a sanitary board, you have decided you have nothing to do.
Measles, scarlet fever and hooping cough continued to prevail to much
the same extent as in November. Towards the middle of the month
both scarlet fever and measles had decidedly declined in prevalence, but
increased again at its close. The cases of scarlatina which came to my
knowledge weekly were 17, 11, 5, 8, 1, 13. The weekly deaths were
4, 8, 13, 9, 8, 3. The former numbers give, of course, the most reliable
idea of its actual weekly variations, as death does not happen instantly.
The eastern half of the Parish has been suffering most.
But three deaths from small pox have been recorded—one in the third,
one in the fifth, and one in the sixth week of the month. The proportion
of cases among the poor has scarcely varied. But the epidemic is
not yet over. The three deaths occurred, two in streets adjoining the
Caledonian Road, and one near the Camden Road.
EDWARD BALLARD, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Vestry Offices,
January 9tht 1864.