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were 50. The largest number of deaths from Small Pox I have ever
before recorded in April was 10 in 1863, from Measles 15 in April, 1864,
from Scarlet Fever 34 in April, 1863, and from Whooping Cough 36 in
April, 1861. I may even go a step further to show the magnitude of
the epidemic and add that in no month of four weeks in any year from
1856, when I entered upon my duties here, has so large a number of fresh
cases of any contagious epidemic disease whatever been recorded. The
largest monthly number of fresh public cases of Small Pox I have ever recorded
before this year was 134 in the four weeks of May, 1863, of Measels
264 in five weeks of June, 1870, of Scarlet Fever 135 in the four weeks
of October, 1867, and of Whooping Cough 161 in the jive weeks of
June, 1869. On only four occasions has a larger number of deaths
than 55 been registered within the same fifteen years from any contagious
epidemic disease, namely from Scarlet Fever 60 in October,
1870, 65 in November, 1870, and 68 in December, 1869, and from
Whooping Cough 58 in June, 1869. And December and June are
months into which we count five weeks, instead of four as in the months
just closed. The largest number of deaths from Small Pox I have ever
registered in any month was 23 in the jive weeks of June, 1863, from
Measles 38 in the jive weeks of December, 1862, from Scarlet Fever 68
in the jive weeks of December, 1869, and from Whooping Cough 58 in
the jive weeks of June, 1869. The disgrace of all this lies, not in the
fact that there is an unparalleled epidemic of contagious disease, but
that the disease is one against which we might have a protection did we
choose to avail ourselves of it, such as we cannot have against any
other disease.
The weekly numbers of new public cases were as follows :—
Week ending April 8th 54 cases.
„ „ „ 15th 69 „
„ „ „ 22nd 67 ,,
„ „ „ 29th 59 „
During the past month the delays in removing cases of Small Pox to
the Hospitals have been most embarassing and dangerous. The public
Hospitals have been full to overflowing, and we have no local accommodation
to supplement them, such as has been provided in some other
large parishes. As a result of all this and the incomprehensible apathy
of the lower classes in the matter of vaccination and revaccination, we
have been having in some instances as many as six and eight consecutive
cases in a house.