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small-pox in a child at the still eai-lier age of 14 days. In these cases it is
probable that the children received the poison of small-pox before birth, as a
period of 14 days elapses from the time of imbibing the poison of small-pox to
the appearance of the eruption. The death of a labouring man, aged 20, took
place in the London Hospital from chloroform during amputation of the leg.
A female, aged 20, died in the same institution from a ligature of a venous
ncevus. The death of a man, aged 50, was caused by exhaustion after the
removal of the upper jaw. Three deaths occurred in the district from pyoemia,
and 3 from alcoholism or from the effects of drink.
The number of inquests held during the quarter is 57. This is one more than
in the corresponding quarter of 1861. In the records of the Coroner's Inquests
there is one record of wilful murder of a newly-born child—one of suicide, by
oxalic acid, of a man, 53 years of age—of another suicide by hanging—and
of a death from the want of the necessaries of life.
The deaths in the workhouse were 69 against 61 for the Christmas quarter
of 1861. Of these deaths there were 7 from fever, 2 from measles, and 1
from diarrhoea.
The uncertified deaths were 14. One was recorded as scarlatina—one as
disease of the heart—and the others as convulsions and premature birth.
The mortality per cent of children in the entire district, under 5 years of
age, in relation to the total mortality was 45.9. In the Whitechapel North
Sub-District the mortality under 5 years was 69.9 per cent.
The Medical Officers of the Union attended 3,506 new cases of sickness, including
63 of small-pox, of which 15 had not been vaccinated, 12 had been
vaccinated, and of 36 there is no record, 125 of measles, 49 of scarlet fever,
41 of hooping cough, 197 of diarrhoea, and 131 of fever. Diarrhoea has been
more prevalent than usual; the cases attended by the Medical Officers being
197 against 179 for the corresponding quarter of last year, and the deaths 22
against 12. The cases of small-pox have increased from 18 to 63. The
return of cases of disease by the Medical Officers of the Union gives but
an imperfect idea of the prevalence of any particular disease, as it is next
to impossible to obtain a return of the cases of sickness attended by private
medical practitioners; I have, however, been favoured by Dr. Munk witl^a
return of the persons attacked with small-pox in this district who were admitted
into the Small Pox Hospital, from which it appears that the number
was 19, of which 1 died. For the corresponding quarter of the preceding
year the number admitted from this district was 13.
The number of cases of sickness in the workhouse was 657, including 4 of
small-pox, 5 of measles, 2 of scarlet fever, 1 of hooping cough, 23 of diarrhoea,
and 121 of fever. Of the total number, Mr. Champneys attended 318, and