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Enteric Fever was the registered cause of 30 deaths, 20 in
the Town sub-district and 10 in Brompton; five occurred in
hospitals: 12 took place in the first eight weeks of the
year. The disease was scarcely so prevalent as usual in the
autumn; but there was a local outbreak of considerable
importance ; the district particularly affected being
south of Kensington Road, and west of Earl's Court Road.
The cases in this outbreak, 29 in number, were in 19 houses
in 12 streets: the sufferers included 12 of children under 11
years of age, 7 of persons between 14 and 20, and 10 of persons
above 20. The disease was restricted to houses of well-to-do
people, and there were not wanting grounds for suspicion
that in the great majority of the cases it might have been
spread through the agency of milk : the cases, however,
were singularly few in proportion to the number of persons
receiving milk from the same dairy. Every facility for investigation
was placed at my disposal, and most diligent
enquires were made in different parts of the country, but
without anything being revealed to throw light on the origin
of the outbreak ; which, moreover, excepting perhaps in one
or two instances, did not appear to be explicable by sanitary
defects in the infected houses. House to house visitation
was made, and numerous medical men, hospital authorities,
medical officers of health, &c., were communicated with, but
to little purpose. The endemic speedily died out, but it was
the cause of five deaths.
Simple continued Fever was the cause of 8 deaths, two of
them in the Brompton sub-district.
Diarrhoea.—The deaths from diarrhoea, 80 in number,
were 43 below the decennial average corrected for increase
of population ; 71 of them took place in the Town subdistrict,
and 9 in Brompton; 58 were registered in twelve
weeks ended September 8. As usual, the deaths were
chiefly of young children, viz., 74 under five years of
age, including 65 under one year. Excepting in 1879, when
the deaths were 71, and in 1882, when the deaths were 61
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