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7
But how are we to account for the enormous excess of deaths from Typhus ?
It is probable in the first place, that all, or nearly all, the cases of fever classed
together under this term, that arise in the district and prove fatal, terminate where
they begin. The parish Workhouse is the refuge for a large proportion of the severe
cases of fever, threatening a fatal termination. In the next place we have the
Workhouse of St. Lukes' situated within our Registration boundaries: we must
therefore, deduct the fever-mortality of St. Lukes'. Dr. Pavy, the Medical Officer of
Health for that district, informs me that 12 persons died of fever in the Workhouse
during the quarter. This will leave 35 as the true loss. If we substitute this figure
for 47, the number given by the Registrar-General, this will give as the proportional
fever-mortality 1/16, and a little over 1/19 as the proportional aggregate zymotic
Mortality ; this still leaves an excess against Shoreditch. Instead of 35 victims from
the Typhoid form of the Sewer-Scourge, the number should not have exceeded 28.
It is also proper to bear in mind that as there is no general Hospital in Shoreditch,
an unknown number of persons afflicted with various non-zymotic, acute, and
chronic diseases, and surgical accidents die in the metropolitan hospitals. If this
number could be ascertained and added to the District-Registrars' Returns, it might
be found to remove the apparent inferior general Mortality of Shoreditch.
The analysis into which I have entered above is far from complete. It
would have been even less so but for the liberality of Mr. Bowring, who has furnished
me with copies of his weekly mortality-lists. As his district includes the Workhouse,
his returns are of especial value as aids to Sanitary investigations.
Tables III. and IV. embrace other facts illustrating the Sickness and Mortality
in different districts. They may be usefully compared with similar ones in the first
Quarterly Report.