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7
Small Pox.
In ray last Quarterly Report I directed the attention of your Board to
the fact that small-pox had been, during the months of July, August, and
September, unusually prevalent in the Metropolis, although no case of that
disease had been recorded in this District by the Medical Officers of the
Union; neither had a death been registered by the Local Registrars, nor had
a case been sent by the Guardians to the Asylum Hospital.
The first case that was recorded by the Poor Law Medical Officers was
for the week ending 28th October; and no death was recorded until
the week ending November the 4th. Since these dates, however, the
disease gradually increased; and for the 13 weeks ending the 13th December,
the total number of cases was 19, and tho deaths registered in the District
were 8. In addition to this number there must be added the 6 deaths which
occurred in tho Asylum Hospital, making a total mortality from this disease
of 14. Since tho termination of the Quarter, and up to the 10th February,
1877, the cases have been more numerous, 43 having been recorded in the books
of the Medical Officers, and the deaths in the District have amounted to 8.
It may be interesting to show the weekly mortality of the present
epidemic of small-pox from its commencement in July last, and compare it
with the progress of that in 1870-71-72. In the week ending 8th July,
1876, the deaths in London from small-pox were 13, and they arc recorded
week by week in tho following order:—2, 8, 7, 1, 9, 5, 10, 8, 5, 16, 11, 15,
11, 16, 22, 15, 21, 48, 52, 43, 67, 50, 75, 97, 75, 116, 100, 79, 86, 103, and
for the week ending February 10th, 90. In 32 weeks the mortality from
small-pox has been 1,260.
In the corresponding 32 weeks for 1870-71, the total deaths from smallpox
were 1,689. The deaths for the week ending January 7th, 1871, were 79,
and for the weeks following they were 135, 188, 163, 106, and for the week
ending February 11th, 211. It thus appears that the number of cases of
small-pox has been less by 429 in 32 weeks than in the epidemic of 1870-71;
yet it appears that the rate of mortality is greater.
From the Registrar-General's Returns, it appears that in the 31 years,
1840-70, small-pox destroyed in London 25,061 lives. The annual deaths
averaged 808; the lowest number in any one year was 154 in 1857, and the
highest number was 2,012 in the year 1863. A new small-pox epidemic of
unexampled severity began at the end of the year 1870, which continued for
about two years, and in that time destroyed 10,110 lives in London alone; of
which number 7,876 died in the year 1871; which was at the rate of 2.4
per 1,000 of the population. In the last Quarter of 1870 the deaths from
small-pox were 584. In the first Quarter of the following year the deaths
rose to 2,400; in the second three months to 3,241; while in the last two
Quarters of the year they declined to 1,255 and 980 respectively. In the
first three Quarters of 1872 the deaths in the first Quarter were 831, and in the
second and third Quarters respectively 582 and 237; making a total of 1,650.