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71
undoubtedly spread by the contact of children in the
school, but the source of the first cases remains undiscovered.
Diarrhoea was very mild, as might be expected,
since the year 1881 was much cooler, and the rainfall
considerably less than its predecessor. The epidemic
diseases are arranged below according to the time of year
in which they occurred. Scarlet-fever may be said to
have prevailed in the third quarter, and Measles in the
second and fourth.
1881
DISEASE. first Second Third Fourth
Quarter. Quarter. Quarter. Quarter.
Mean Temperature 37°3 52°9 60°0 44°6
Small Pox ... ... ...
Measles 3 ... 3
Scarlatina ... 6 ... 1
Diphtheria ... 1 ... ...
Whooping Cough 1 ... ... 2
Diarrhoea 1 ... 1 1
Fever ... ... ... 1
Total 3 4 7 8
Constitutional and Local Diseases, &C.—The table
which follows will save much labour in explaining the
relations of these diseases. It is most satisfactory to find
that tubercular diseases continue to decrease. This also
called forth the same remark last year. Respiratory
diseases, and also nervous, are below the average. The
deaths of children from the dangers of birth and the
earliest period of life seem rather to be increasing.
The mortality from drowning has caused the deaths
classified under the head of violence to be greatly in
excess of any past year on the table. The matter will
be referred to afterwards.