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39
They are thus exposed to the draughts that blow through the house,
and waking up in the morning with a shiver, find that they have
caught cold—in other words, have an attack of pneumonia or
bronchitis. Accidents of this nature cannot be prevented by ordinary
sanitary surveillance, but it may be hoped that, by the erection of
dwellings for the poorer classes of a more suitable character, on a
perfectly dry soil, concreted or otherwise, so that "damp" and foul
exhalations may be arrested, and by a steady persistence in sanitary
regulation, even the most ignorant people will be gradually taught
the importance of obviating those causes that undermine their
health, and bring about a premature destruction of life.
The Influence of Flowering Plants in purifying the
atmosphere.
40. The low death-rate of St. George, Bloomsbury, as exhibited
in Tables 4 and 5, is mainly owing, as has been frequently pointed
out, to the social condition of its inhabitants, and to the airy and
spacious squares which occupy the site. There is a point of considerable
importance in the planting and adornment of these squares
which is not much thought of, but which, as Health Officer of the
District, I think it right to urge. It is now well established that
the atmosphere of large towns is deficient of ozone, which is nature's
prime agent for purifying the air of deleterious organic poisons and
preventing the spread of fevers. It is equally well proved that all
odoriferous plants, the mints, for example, lavender, mignonette,
wall-flower, and other old English flowers and herbs have a remarkable
power of developing ozone, and therefore help materially in
the destruction of miasmatic poisons. It is well to bear these facts
in mind, and in laying out grounds to make the decoration of them
subservient to purposes of health; and whilst gratifying the eye
with beds of flowers of bright colours, to sow liberally such sweet
scented flowering plants as are conducive to the purification
of the atmosphere by the oxidation of the organic poisons that are
constantly floating in it. Fevers may, in this way, be prevented,
probably as effectually as by the use of the ordinary chemical disinfectants,
whilst flowering plants have this advantage, that during
the time they are in leaf and bloom their influence on the atmosphere
is constant, whilst chemical re-agents exert only a transitory effect.
The Death-rate among the Zymotic Diseases.
41. The aggregate number of Zymotic deaths during the year
1874 was 231 ; but only 205 of these were in the miasmatic order.
In 1873 the deaths from miasmatic diseases were 217, and in 1872,
211, so that our mortality from these causes was lower last year than
hitherto recorded. It must be always borne in mind that our
records of mortality from these causes is increased by all the deaths
that can be collected from public institutions outside the district.