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18
It will be observed that there was no fatal cases of small.pox
during the year : the first time during the decade of such immunity.
But, on the other hand, the year was marked by an
epidemic of measles of extraordinary severity, and confined
entirely to the Town sub.district. During the year 1873 the
deaths from this affection were 38, of which 31 occurred during
the months of November and December, the commencement of the
epidemic. Of these 38 deaths, 28 belong to the Town sub.district.
The mortality in Brompton was 10 during the whole of 1873, but
fell to 6 last year; while the deaths in the Town Sub.district rose
to 115. Of the total of 121 deaths, 119 occurred under the age
of 5 years. The highest total in the previous 10 years was noted
in 1864, when 100 children died of this complaint (vide Table 5
Appendix). The total mortality during the last epidemic was 148,
viz., 16 in November and 15 in December 1873, and 107 during
the first five months of 1874, viz., January, 25; February, 31;
March, 25 ; April, 16; and May, 10. Measles is always more
fatal when it occurs as an epidemic, and especially during the
winter months, the immediate cause of death being, in the majority
of cases, some intercurrent complication affecting the lungs.
The brunt of the epidemic fell on the poorer classes in the northern
parts of the parish.
Scarlet Fever was fatal in 32 cases—an increase of 22 over the
mortality of the previous year. 28 of the deaths took place in
the Town sub.district, and 4 in Brompton—21 of the victims
being under 5 years of age. The disease was, to, a certain extent,
epidemic in the Autumn, and, fears being entertained that it might
spread, through the agency of the Board Schools, precautions
were taken by the London School Board, acting on the suggestions
I laid before your Vestry, to prevent children attending
school from infected houses. The evil blew over as the winter
advanced; but, in accordance with the usual course of epidemic
scarlet fever, a more severe outbreak may be looked for during the
current year, the signs of which are not wanting at the present
writing.
I have already referred (p. 10, ante) to a curious outbreak of
scarlet fever following on a dinner.party at South Kensington,
and it may be here mentioned that a report of the occurrence
having found its way, with more or less inaccuracy, into some of
the papers, a good deal of alarm was created, and an impression
got abroad that the disease was "very prevalent in Kensington.
This impression was not confined to the immediate locality, and
the effect of it was to cause a considerable exodus of the wealthier
classes at a prematurely early period of the " season," as well as
more or less consequent injury to trade. Some suspicions connected
with the state of the Kvnightsbridge Barracks and the health
of the soldiers' families, inclding those that lived outside, added
fuel to the fire, if indeed they did not kindle it. I had no reason,
myself, to suspect any extensive prevalence of scarlet fever, for I
knew that the deaths though rather above the average were still