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the coroner's inquests show that 2 persons were wilfully murdered, 2 children
died from suffocation in bed, 1, an illegitimate child, newly born, died from
suffocation through absence of assistance at birth, 1 child, 3½ years old, died
from suffocation, produced by the bed taking fire in consequence of a child
getting possession of a lucifer match. The death of a man, aged 66, is
recorded as having been accelerated by the want of food and other necessaries.
Spasm of the glottis was the cause of death in a child aged 6 months. The
drinking of water containing phosphoric acid in which certain matches called
"Vesuvians" had been floating, caused the death of a child aged 1 year.
Two persons, aged respectively 20 and 24, died from the effects of injuries
occasioned by the explosion of fire-works. Two men, aged respectively 40
and 63 died in consequence of falls while drunk. A female, aged 33, died
from alcoholism or the effects of intoxicating liquors. A boy, aged 16 years,
died from the effects of a stab from a knife accidentally given him by a
playmate.
The deaths in the workhouse were 101, viz., 52 males and 49 females; of
these 3 were from small-pox, 3 from diarrhoea, and 13 from fever. Six of the
total deaths in the workhouse were of persons who had reached 80 years and
upwards.
The Medical Officers of the Union have attended 3,607 new cases of sickness
among the out-door poor, including 103 of small-pox, 34 of measles, 31 of
scarlet fever, 40 of hooping cough, 129 of diarrhoea, and 76 of fever. In the
corresponding quarter of the previous year the medical officers attended 3,755
new cases of sickness, including 14 of small-pox, 42 of measles, 9 of scarlet
fever, 39 of hooping cough, 140 of diarrhoea, and 199 of fever. The cases of
fever have diminished from an average of 15.3 per week to 5'8 per week,
while small-pox has increased from an average of 1 to 8 per week. Of the
103 cases of small-pox 33 are said to have been previously vaccinated, 38
unvaccinated, and of the remainder there is no record as regards vaccination.
Mr. Sequeira reports that one of the cases of small-pox was that of a boy aged
8 years, who had previously had small-pox.
The cases of illness in the Workhouse have been 732, of which number
Mr. Champneys attended 381, and Mr. Richardson 351. The cases of
epidemic diseases included in the above returns are 28 of small-pox, 3 of scarlet
fever, 10 of diarrhoea, and 71 of fever. Of the 28 small-pox cases 17 were
attended by Mr. Champneys, and 11 by Mr. Richardson. Mr. Richardson
remarks that 5 out of the 11 cases which he attended had been vaccinated,
and that the severe cases of the disease were among those patients who had
not been vaccinated.