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REPORT
on the
SANITARY CONDITION OF ST. MARY, ISLINGTON,
FOR APRIL, 1869.
No. CLXIV.
The mortality table for the month of April corresponds in the number
of deaths registered (310) very closely with that of the same month
last year, and represents a loss by death of 41 persons less than that
which would have been experienced had the average death rate of the
previous ten years prevailed. The new cases of sickness, also, have
been less numerous than in April last year. The month may
be regarded, therefore, as having been tolerably healthy. Of the
epidemic and contagious maladies, hooping cough alone has been more
prevalent than usual; 83 new cases were recorded, and 33 deaths from
this disease registered. April is, however, the month in which this
disease usually begins to spread, but the extension began earlier than
is customary this year. My experience here has demonstrated that
the spread of hooping cough is promoted by a mean temperature above
46°, and especially by one between 57° and 60°, and that at this season
of the year the cases are more numerous than they otherwise would be,
when the atmosphere is (as has been the case this year) warmer and
drier than usual. As the temperature continues to rise therefore
towards 60°, we may expect a yet further spread of the disease,
unless the effect of the rise of temperature is counteracted by an
accompaniment of wet weather. Diarrhoea has prevailed more
extensively than usual, apparently as a result of the unusual warmth
of the weather and comparatively small rainfall. Rain only fell on
7 days out of the 28. There is only further to note the large number
of deaths, amounting to 26, from apoplexy and paralysis, and 19 from
the convulsions of children.