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11
Measles caused only 64 deaths, pretty generally distributed over
the twelve months, as against 289 in 1885, and 125, 1G5, 153, 161, 48
and 219 in the six previous years. This disease has however shown
much greater activity during the present year, 258 fatal cases having
already occurred during the four months from the 1st March to the
end of June. It is, in fact, the most active epidemic of the current
year, and the most fatal.
Whooping Cough was again prevalent as an epidemic amongst
us, causing 205 deaths as against 200 in 1885, and 268, 119,
299, 172 and 299 in the nve previous years.
As is generally the case, the first four months of the year
contributed the greatest proportion of deaths, or about 70 per cent.
of the whole number.
Diarrhoea occasioned 307 deaths, the highest number yet
reached, as against 266, 162, 149, 216, and 295 in the five previous
years.
As would be expected the months of July, August and September
contributed the largest number of the deaths, being equal to 86 per
cent. of the whole mortality.
Fever.—The deaths attributable to Fever generally were 48 as
against 55, 83, 86, 77 and 79 in the five previous years.
Diphtheria, as I anticipated in my last report, has been much
less active during the year, having occasioned only 54 deaths, as
against 138 in 1885, when the epidemic culminated in the fifth year
of its course.
The fatal cases were more generally distributed over the parish
than in former years, but the Eastern portions were again the districts
where the deaths from Diphtheria mostly occurred, and where
Scarlatina was to all appearance the least prevalent.
This epidemic may be said to have commenced in 1881, when the
deaths rose from 27 in the previous year to 42, the numbers in the
succeeding years being 54 in 1882, 70 in 1883, 114 in 1884, 138 in
1885, and then falling in 1886 to 54.
The monthly deaths in the present year also show still further
decreasing numbers.