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prevent the swallowing of food, or travelling down the windpipe
produce suffocation; or as frequently happens, the affection
of the throat may go on favourably, the patient may seem to
enjoy every prospect of ultimate recovery, and yet fall a victim
to sheer and almost unaccountable exhaustion. The disease is
one unquestionably fraught with very considerable danger, at the
same time its attacks vary in their degrees of severity; and of
course many who are affected speedily recover. There can be
no doubt, I think, that it is to some extent infectious or catching
; and children appear to be both more prone to its attacks,
and more liable to succumb, than persons of more mature age.
The births during the year 1858 were slightly (18) iu excess
of those of the previous year. They amounted to 2101. of which
1076 were of boys, 1025 of girls. They were more numerous
than the deaths by 661.
Second.— In the year which expired with the 31st of March,
1859, your sanitary officers have laboured continuously, and I
may add successfully, as they have done in their previous years'
tenure of office. The inspectors of nuisances under my supervision
visited systematically 2557 houses, besides inspecting many
nuisances entered in the complaint book; and the following are
the results which have flowed from their visits, and the proceedings
which have been grounded thereon:— 388 cesspools have
been emptied, and 188 filled up and abolished; 177 water closets
have been constructed and connected with sewers, and 189 drains
trapped or cleansed; 62 yards have been paved or had their
paving relaid; 286 houses have been cleansed and whitewashed,
and 51 repaired; water for drinking purposes has been supplied
in 56 cases, and to water closets in 30; 85 dust bins have
been erected; and 567 miscellaneous nuisances, arising from
pigs, drains, ashes, and other matters have been remedied.
Many of the above improvements were effected through simple