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9
and in 1872, when 273 cases were severally recorded. Of the
229 cases of death that occurred during the past year 218 were of
children under 5 years old, whilst only one case of death is noted
in a person above 15.
Scarlet Fever was somewhat more or less prevalent during
the whole year, but the deaths were not unusually numerous.
During the whole of the year Small-pox was more or less
prevalent throughout London. Although it is true the deaths
recorded in the table from small-pox are few, nevertheless it is
important to bear in mind that the prevalence or not of small-pox
in any given district cannot be accurately guaged by the mortality
alone. And the reason of this is obvious—viz., that it is the one
disease where so soon as it makes its appearance patients of
the poorer, and even middle classes, are removed to hospitals.
Thus a parish may apparently be, so far as death returns
indicate, actually free from the disease, whilst all the time
patients are being removed to the various hospitals fitted for their
reception. No more important sanitary question can occupy the
minds of our legislators at the present time than the paramount
necessity of not only registering deaths, but of registering cases of
sickness as well. It is the absence of this information that makes
sanitary work difficult; and the public cry of the neglect of sanitary
authorities most often means that they do not possess the
necessary information on which they can act, because our laws
have given them no power to obtain it. And, in illustration of
this, the hiding up of local outbreaks of infectious disease affords
the best possible illustration.
Thirdly, I note that the cases of death from Diarrhcea were
far below the average, 104 cases only being recorded. In fact, this
is the smallest number of deaths from this cause since 1862. I
need do no more than mention the unusually low summer
temperature, and the excessive rainfall, and the consequent washing
of the roads and flushing of the sewers, as probable causes of the
low mortality.