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to hospital and there died. The epidemic disease is arranged
chronologically in the table below. The mean temperature
DISEASE.
1879.
First
Quarter.
Second
Quarter.
Third
Quarter.
Fourth
Quarter.
Mean Temperature 37°.l 49°.5 58°.l 39°.9
Small Pox ... ... ... ...
Measles ... ... ... ...
Scarlatina ... ... 2 1
Diphtheria ... ... ... ...
Whooping Cough 3 3 ... 2
Diarrhœa 2 ... 4 1
Fever 1 1 ... ...
Total 6 4 6 4
for each quarter is also shewn, from which it may be seen
that the year was unusually low in temperature throughout.
The mean for the year was 46°.2, 2.4 below the
average of 108 years (see Table III, Appendix.) This may
account for the diminished epidemic diseases, for cold is not
favourable to most forms of epidemic disease. The year was,
however, unhappily very humid, the rainfall amounting to
31.3 inches, being 6.0 inches above the average of 64 years.
In 1878 the mean temperature was 49°.6, 1.0 above the
average, and the rainfall 29.2, 3.8 above the average.
Thus we had cold and moisture in 1879, and heat and
moisture in 1878, an epidemic mortality being increased
in the latter (especially from Diarrhoea), and diminished
in the former.
Although, happily, our infectious disease was very
slight, we found not infrequent use for the disinfecting
oven, and in all probability owe some part of our good
fortune to the efficient manner in which it disinfects clothing
bedding, and even furniture. Infection has been known
to linger, in an active condition, in articles of wearing
apparel &c., for months, and even years, and perfect disinfection
of many articles is hardly possible without such