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44
Small Pox which had shown signs of becoming
epidemic in 1884, but abated towards the end of the
year, returned with renewed vigour in the present year.
The cases were nearly all in adults, and were with one
exception removed to hospital, the exception being the
case of a man found dying when visited. The
arrangements for removing these patients are as perfect
as they well can be, no delay having occurred in a
single case. It is no doubt owing to rapid isolation
that the disease was confined to narrow limits, in all
44 cases were removed; it was not confined to any
particular part of the district, but was general, and
in most cases it was difficult to trace its origin, and
may be attributed to persons having had the disease,
concealing it; their clothes not being submitted to
disinfection and wearing them in public, so spreading it
broadcast, as the following case will shew: An adult
female convalescent from Small Pox paid a visit to
her parents at-; in a fortnight her mother and
two sisters died of the disease, there was no Small Pox
in the neighbourhood nor had there been, and there is
not the least doubt that it was communicated by the
visitor. We should have known nothing of it had not
tho Medical Officer of Health written asking me to
ascertain if there had been any Small Pox in the
house from which she left. This is another instance in
which the compulsory notification of infectious disease
would have been of valuable service.
Population.
The population estimated on the basis
pursued by the Registrar-General for themiddle of the
year would be 64,317, this however must not be
considered as accurate as the birth-rate is again 4.0
per thousand more than that of the census year when
the population was exactly known. The rapid
development of the Broomwood Estate, West side,