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12
MEASLES AND WHOOPING COUGH.
The only infectious diseases throughout the year which
tended to become epidemic were measles and whooping cough.
Neither of these diseases are notifiable, hence the only accurate
knowledge obtained with regard to them is the record of
deaths, and also the notices which the various school authorities
send regularly to the Health Office. Since there were 32
deaths from measles and 57 from whooping cough, and the
average case mortality is somewhere near 5%, it may be surmised
that there were over 600 cases of measles, and 1,100
of whooping cough.
THE HEALTHINESS OF ARTISANS' DWELLINGS.
It has been advanced as an objection to the policy of
building, or encouraging the building of, Artisans' Dwellings
in this district, by an eminent member of the Council, that the
death-rate of such dwellings is likely to be as high as in tenement
streets. Since this question is of more than local interest.
the writer has commenced the study of the question.
There are now a large number of artisans' dwellings in
the district, some of them extremely defective in original plan
and unfortunately situated; others like Wharncliffe Gardens
and Queen Street Buildings, on good sites, and in every way
excellent.
In the former case one would suspect that the objection
has some basis, but in the latter there is no reason for believing
that the conditions of housing are antagonistic to the highest
degree of health and longevity.
The buildings selected for the present purpose are Wharncliffe
Gardens, situated high up in the residential neighbourhood
of St. John's Wood, with ample light, pleasant views, and as
good an atmosphere as can be obtained within four miles of
Charing Cross, and a group of dwellings in Horace Street,
which are unfortunate in being in the midst of a crowded
locality and in point of planning and original construction
and also in the wage earning capacity of the tenants, and their
manner of living, somewhat different to Wharncliffe Gardens.
WHARNCLIFFE GARDENS.
The following figures have been supplied by the Superintendent
of Wharncliffe Gardens in respect to the population
of the dwellings :—