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continuance of the measles epidemic, and the fatal prevalence
of diarrhœa, which destroyed in the eight weeks 65 persons,
nearly all of them young children, and 54 being infants
under one year. In the two following months, ending September
10th and October 8th, the deaths from diarrhoea were
17, and the general rate of mortality fell to 13.4 and 13.6,
or 3.4 and 3.5 per 1,000 below the average. In the three concluding
months of the year respectively, the death-rate under the
influence of remarkably fine and genial weather, was 14.5, 16.8, and
17.4, or 2.1, 3.4, and 3.4 per 1,000 below the decennial average.
In these months a severe epidemic of whooping-cough commenced,
the deaths from this cause being 8, 8, and 22 in the three months
respectively, a mortality greatly exceeded, however, in the early
months of the current year. To conclude: in Kensington,
in London, and in all England likewise, the year 1881 was
characterised by an exceptionally low rate of mortality, attributable
to the equable temperature, to mild weather, with freedom from fog
and damp in winter, and in "summer" to cool weather with
abundance of rain. These atmospherical conditions so favourable
to prolongation of life in the aged in winter, and to the preservation
of the young in summer, were attended with the usual results
in our parish, as we shall see when we come to speak of the deaths
of old and young in a subsequent section.
THE ZYM0TIC DISEASES.
Before entering into details with respect to population, births,
deaths, etc., I propose to consider specially the sickness and
mortality from the principal diseases of the Zymotic class, and
subjects naturally arising out of this topic.
The "Class" of diseases called Zymotic, comprises four
"Orders." The first order, "Miasmatic," includes, among
others, the diseases which the Registrar-General calls "the seven
principal diseases of the zymotic class," still classing under the
generic term "fever" the three distinct fevers, " Typhus,"
"Enteric," and "Simple continued." These diseases have a
high interest for sanitarians, arising out of their more or less
preventable character: it being customary, moreover, to regard