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originated from sanitary defects in the house (although there
were several other cases in the locality at the time), but no such
defects existed to account for the outbreak in the family at
Manchester Street. It is probable rather, that one or both the
youths, the first cases in this family, contracted the illness at
the house in Lockton Street, where they were engaged as porters,
and thus became the source of infection to the other cases. Not
all medical men believe in the infectiousness of enteric fever, of
which I, personally, entertain no doubt. Sometimes large
numbers of cases occur simultaneously, and then the outbreak
may usually be traced to specifically contaminated water, taken
alone or in milk ; but the cases in the above group—eleven in
two houses—fell ill successively, and in such a way as to suggest
in the strongest manner that the later cases were due to infection.
It was a lamentable affair, ending as it did in three
deaths, including those of two fathers, each leaving a large
family.
Diarrhcea.—The deaths from diarrhoea, 61 in number, were
so many as 70 below the decennial average, corrected for
increase of population ; 54 of them took place in the Town SubDistrict,
and 7 in Brompton. As usual, the deaths were mainly
those of young children, viz., 56 under 5 years of age, including
45 under 1 year. Such a low rate of mortality from diarrhoea
has not been recorded for many years: it was the result of the
generally low temperature that prevailed in the summer months.
The immediate causation of this. infantile scourge has never been
clearly made out: probably the enquiry delegated by the Local
Government Board to their Inspector, Dr. Ballard, will
ultimately throw light on the subject.
Small-pox.—Not one death from small-pox was registered in
Kensington in 1882, and only 16 cases were recorded, viz., 7
(including three doubtful and concealed cases) in that portion
of the parish which lies north of Uxbridge Road, and 9 in the
remainder of the parish. Twelve of the cases were removed to
hospital.