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approached Islington in lowness of death-rate, having apparently a slightly
lower one. I say apparently, because if the share of deaths in public
institutions, and especially in the Small Pox hospitals, were added, the
result would certainly be modified.
The sickness returns, (Table II.), call for a special notice. In his
monthly report for July last, Dr. Ballard said, "The table of sickness is
imperfect this month, in consequence of some recent changes having been
made in the mode of keeping the books of the Medical Officers of the
Guardians, which cause them to be no longer available for my use." This
continues to be the case, so that the column headed " Out patient paupers,"
in Table II., only represents six months' sickness, viz.: from January to
June inclusive, except as regards Small Pox, the number for which (1082),
represents the number of new cases occurring during the twelve months;
as far as the other returns are concerned, the total number of new cases of
sickness (27,104) is 639 less than the corresponding number last year.
CAUSES OF SICKNESS AND DEATH.
*
The number of deaths registered according to their causes will be found
in Table I., and the corresponding record of cases of sickness, as far as it
goes, in Table II.
While Scarlatina and Measles swelled the lists in 1870, it is Small Pox
that has been most conspicuous in 1871; it was indeed the epidemic of the
year.
Small Pox.—It is difficult to say when the very serious epidemic of
this disease, which had by no means ceased its ravages at the end of the
year, began, but the signs of it were manifest in the middle of 1870; thus
in June there were 3 deaths registered from it in the parish, in each of the
months July, August, and September, 4 deaths; in October, 3; November,
13; and December, 17 deaths, from it. The cases occurring in public
practice were, in October, 20; in November, 35; and in December, 104.