View report page

5
From this comparison we find that the increase has
been in Measles, Scarlatina, Hooping-Cough, and Diarrhoea.
It is to be observed, that in London generally,
Measles and Scarlatina had been less fatal, whilst
Hooping-Cough and Diarrhoea had been greatly more
fatal than last year. It results that Shoreditch suffered
in a special manner from Measles and Scarlatina. It
also appears that Shoreditch suffered comparatively
more from Hooping-Cough; but considerably less from
Diarrhœa, than all London. To compensate in some
measure for this increase of mortality from particular
epidemies, there has been a diminished mortality in
other diseases.
The greater prevalence and severity of Diarrhœa is
partly explained by the unusual heat of the quarter.
In order to mark this higher temperature the more
clearly, I have introduced a column into Table II.
shewing the difference between the temperature, week
by week, during the last quarter, and average temperature
of the corresponding weeks of ten years. It will
be seen that there was an excess of the mean temperature
above its average in 12 weeks out of the 13. The
mean temperature of the whole 13 weeks was 63.6°
being 3.5° above the average. In the corresponding
quarter of 1856, the temperature was in excess 6 weeks
only, and in deficiency 7 weeks. The average for ten
years for the 13 weeks is 60.8°, the average of 13 weeks
in 1856 was 60.3° being on the whole .5° below the
average. The average temperature of the summer quarter
of 1857, was therefore 4° or 6.7 per cent. higher
than in 1856.