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In the twelfth period (45th-48th weeks, November 8th to
December 5th) the death rate fell to 13.6, or 4.5 below the
average: it was 6.3 below the Metropolitan rate, this being 2.5
below the average. The deaths from the principal zymotic
diseases were 16 (or 7 below the average), including diphtheria 4
and enteric fever 3. Mean temperature 42°.8, or 0°.3 above
the average.
In the thirteenth and last period (49th-52nd weeks, December
6th to January 2nd, 1886) the death rate rose to 17.5, but was
1.8 below the average: it was 3.8 below the Metropolitan rate,
which was 2.7 below the average. The deaths from the principal
zymotic diseases were 13, (or 15 below the average), including 1
each from scarlet fever and enteric fever, 3 from measles, and 8
from whooping cough. Mean temperature 38°.7, or 0o.6 below
the average.
THE ZYMOTIC DISEASES.
Before entering into details with respect to population, births,
deaths, etc., I propose to consider 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 in the
Registrar-General's classification of the "causes of death" six
"Orders." The first and second Orders, ("Miasmatic" and
"Diarrhœal"), include the diseases which the Registrar-General
describes as "the seven principal diseases of the zymotic class,"
grouping, as he does, 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
the fact that they are admittedly of a more or less preventible
character; it being customary, moreover, to regard the absence or
the prevalence of some of them as a test of the sanitary condition
of a district. But, without under-rating the importance of this
test, it must be said that there are limitations to its applicability