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property in this area, and requested them to close and demolish the
condemned houses as soon as possible.
The Metropolitan Board of Works acted as soon as the provisions of
the Act allowed them, and at the present date the whole of the houses
in this area have been pulled down for the purpose of erecting healthy
dwellings for the working classes.
The authorities of King's College Hospital alone had informed the
local authorities of the admission of these typhus fever cases into their
wards.
Your Board thereupon, at my suggestion, sent the following circular
letter, addressed to the Chairman of Committee of Management of the
several Metropolitan hospitals:—
" St. Giles District Board of Works,
199, High Holborn, W.C.
" The attention of the Sanitary Committee of the Board has been
recently called by their Medical Officer of Health to a source of danger
of spreading typhus fever and other infectious diseases, which a little
aid on the part of hospital authorities would greatly assist in removing,
and asking that aid. The Guardians of the Poor send every pauper
case of typhus and other infectious diseases to one of the special
hospitals of the Asylum's Board, and at once inform the Medical
Officer of Health of the house and room occupied by the person
so removed, the room being then immediately disinfected. But
patients who do not belong to the pauper class may be admitted
into the general hospitals without the knowledge of the Medical
Officer of Health, as happened in several instances during the recent
appearance of typhus in St. Giles District. Under these circumstances,
the sanitary authority and its officers are unable to take such measures
as may be found necessary to eradicate the centre of infection from
which the patients may have been brought by disinfection of the
dwellings. The District Board, therefore, requests as a great favour
that when patients suffering from typhus or other infectious diseases
are admitted into a general hospital from the Board's District, the
hospital authorities will give to the Board information of the fact.
" J. H. Jones, Clerk."
This letter elicited favourable replies from many of the hospital
authorities.
Typhoid.—I have no special comment to make on this form of
fever. 8 deaths occurred from it. 4 patients were sent to Stockwell
Hospital, and all recovered. The deaths in 1878 were 19, and the
decennial average 24 6.
Metria (Puerperal or Lying-in Fever) was fatal to 2 females (nonhospital
patients), between the ages of 20 and 40.
Diarrkhæa.—In 1879, the deaths from diarrhoea and bronchitis were
in an inverse ratio to each other. In consequence of the low temperature
which prevailed during the summer and autumn months, there was an