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57
Outbreaks of Small-pox are not unfrequently found to
originate amongst those employed in the handling of
rags at Paper Mills, and in this instance the circumstances
and surroundings of the case admit of little doubt that the
rags on which the first patient worked were the source
of the infection. In defence of the public health therefore
it would seem desirable that the disinfection of the
rags before being sorted and cut up for use should be
made compulsory by law upon all paper manufacturers,
and other users of rags.
Vaccination. From the return made by the Vaccination
Officer to the Local Government Board it appears that,
during the previous year (1887), of the 1,339 children
born 1,148 were successfully vaccinated; 100 died unvaccinated;
15 were postponed on account of illness; 3
were insusceptible of the effects of the operation; 3
removed to places, the Vaccination Officer of which was
duly informed, leaving 70 or 5.2 per cent who had removed
to places unknown, or could not be found.
The following table exhibits the total deaths that
occurred from Zymotic diseases, specifying those that
resulted from the seven principal Epidemic diseases
during the past and ten preceding years, and the relative
proportion which they bore to the deaths from all causes.
It also shews the increase and decrease of deaths in 1888
compared with the annual average number of deaths in
1878-87, raised in proportion to increase of population:—