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113
The above Table gives the number of deaths from the
different Zymotic diseases for the last 10 years, with the
Zymotic and general death-rates.
The number of deaths was 96 and the death-rate
2.19, a low figure, though higher than that of the last 3
ears. If the deaths from Influenza are excluded the
rate becomes l-6.
Small Pox.—No deaths occurred and no case was
notified during the year.
Influenza.—An epidemic of this disease broke out again
in the late spring of 1891 causing 22 deaths, which were
directly attributed to it, and probably many others.
Compared with the mortality from the other Zymotic
diseases the fatality was great, and the question as to its
causation and prevention becomes of great importance.
Our knowledge of this is far from being complete, but
there is no doubt that it is very infectious, and is found
to prevail especially where numbers of people are
gathered under one roof, as in factories and places of
business. By many there is thought to be some
atmospheric condition predisposing to it, but what that
condition is, if any, no one has been able to say. There
seems no doubt that all diseases at the time of an Influenza
epidemic tend to become of a low or adynamic
type with great depression of strength and slow convalescence.
The chief means to be taken to check its
spread is to isolate with every precaution all recognised
cases, and to prevent aggregation of individuals as much
as possible. There will certainly be a large number of
cases of a mild type, which will always escape isolation
from not being recognised, so that it is not to be expected
that, without fuller knowledge, it will be possible to control
it very satisfactorily. At the end of the year and