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42. Small Pox.—We had no death from this cause during the year.
43. Measles.—We sustained 31 deaths from measles, which
were more numerous than last year (27), and also more than the
average of 10 years (26.7) (vide Table No. 7).
44. Scarlatina.— 48 deaths occurred from this malady, our
average number being 43'3. Our mortality last year was rather
higher than the average, and shows a decided increase upon that of
the three preceeding years, viz., 1873, 8; 1872, 5; 1871, 20; we
may therefore look forward to the prevalence of this disease in an
epidemic form next year. In 1870 we sustained 103 deaths from
this cause (the largest number reported in recent times). Although
there is no clear evidence (vide Table No. 7) that scarlatina appears
epidemically at stated periods, yet its sudden leap in the past year
is sufficient to raise grave apprehensions of a more formidable outbreak
in the latter summer or autumn.
The first case of this malady occurred at 63, New Compton
Street, in St. Giles North. A woman had recently come into the
parish from Westminster, but we could not get information of the
disease existing in the house in which she had resided. The house
in New Compton Street was moreover in want of sanitary improvements,
and had been twice specially reported on in the previous
year. It was without a yard, and all the domestic conveniences were
in the basement. Other cases occurred in the same house, and the
disease gradually extended over the District, but the Sub-District of
St. Giles North continued to be the most heavily visited. The first
deaths occurred in the week ending August 8th, when 2 were
registered; there were 3 at the end of the month; in the month of
of September there were 14, divided equally between St. Giles South
and St. Giles North; in the month of October, 11, again divided
equally between the two Sub-Districts, with 1 in hospital; in the
month of November, 3, all in Bloomsbury; and in the month of
December, 10, of which 3 were in Bloomsbury, 2 in St. Giles South,
and 5 in St. Giles North. The remaining deaths occurred in hospital.
Since the end of the year there has been a gradual reduction of the
mortality, viz., 3, 1 and 2 deaths in the successive months of the
Spring quarter, 1875.
As the spread of scarlet fever is believed to depend very much
upon temperature, it is interesting to know that the mean temperature
of the month of July, immediately preceding the first death, was
63.2; of the month of August, 60.4; of the month of September,
58.3; of the month of October, 52.6; of the month of November,
41.8; and of the month of December, 33.9. Notwithstanding the
low temperature of the last month, the coldest of the year, and, up
to the present time, of the present year also, the death-rate continued
excessive, showing that the range of temperature within
which this disease is usually considered to prevail must be received
with some qualification.
45. Diphtheria.—There has been no mortality from this disease.
46. Croup gave a tale of 8 deaths, of which 6 were females,
and 2 males.