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60
Zymotic Diseases —The various diseases in Class I.
of the preceding table caused 41 deaths or a seventh of
the whole. Over half these deaths were due to Whooping
Cough, and this was the only infectious disease which
could be called prevalent during the year; it was more
especially fatal in the first and last quarter from Lung
complications, 16 of the 21 deaths from this disease
occurred among the industrial classes.
There was no fatal case of Small Pox, nor was any
person sent into hospital with the disease, indeed it was
hardly, if at all, present in the district. A state of things
not likely to continue if the proposed alteration in respect
of compulsory vaccination is carried into effect.
The remaining five diseases in this class, viz., Measles,
Scarlatina, Diphtheria, Fevers, and Diarrhoea, caused
altogether 15 deaths as against 31 in the previous year.
So that, if we exclude Whooping Cough, the mortality
from the principal epidemic diseases was barely half
that of the previous year, and below the average of
the six preceding years.
The mortality from Zymotic diseases yields a percentage
of 141 upon the number of deaths from all causes
during the year.
The following table contrasts all the deaths which
resulted from the seven principal epidemic diseases during
the past and six preceding years:—