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9
in the latter of the two years above-named (1871) the
maximum point was reached by the return of no fewer than
377 deaths from this disease! In the 10 years 1863-72,
the mortality from Small Pox amounted in the aggregate
to 600, giving a yearly average of 60. As the deaths from
this disease in the past year were only 9, it is some satisfaction
to find that they were less by 51 than that average.
It may be remarked that every one of the nine deaths from
this malady in 1873 occurred in Battersea,* as did unfortunately
a large majority of the cases in previous years.
Taking, however, a five years' retrospect only, it is found
that the deaths in the entire District from Small Pox
have amounted to as many as 448, and that 303 of
these were registered in Battersea, 124 in Clapham, 15 in
Wandsworth, 5 in Streatham, and 1 in Putney. After so
serious a fatality from one preventable disease in the
short space of five years, it is a matter for very considerable
congratulation that a better condition of things is now
promised by the almost entire "stamping out" of the malady.
To the deaths in the past year that have been registered
as due to this disease in Battersea, the Local Summary of
one of the Medical Officers of Health of that Sub-district
especially refers, and speaks of a more than suspected
centre of contagion discovered in the person of a careless
and uncleanly nurse, but for whose utter disregard of the
most ordinary precautions, it is thought the present return
from East Battersea would have been much more favourable
than it is. (See Local Summary for East Battersea.)
Of the deaths due to the other principal diseases of the
Zymotic class, those from Diarrhœa and Choleraic disease
present the highest mortality, having resulted in death in
126 instances. Next in the order of fatality is Whooping
Cough, which proved fatal to 74 persons, whilst from
Fever (Typhus and Typhoid), Measles, Diphtheria, and
Scarlatina, the numbers of persons who died were respectively
65, 55, 11 and 9, against 52, 86, 26 and 26, in the
*Eight in East and one in West Battersea.