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deaths has occurred there and been registered in this district, it
became necessary, in order to ascertain the true mortality for
the district, to eliminate all the deaths of non-residents. I was
therefore compelled to examine each return of the Registrar for
Hackney to find out how many should be placed to our account,
when I ascertained that 113 deaths were recorded of inhabitants
of Hackney, and 578 of non-residents. I then applied to Drs.
Gayton and Collie, the Medical Superintendents, for the number
of admissions, which were very kindly furnished to me, shewing
that under Dr. Gayton's care there were 412 admitted from
Hackney in 1871 out of a total of 1955; and that 1194 cases,
including residents of Hackney, were admitted under Dr. Collie.
Dr. Gayton's return, which I append, indicates the largest number
for Hackney to have occurred in June, viz., 57, and for all
parishes in February and July, when 216 and 204 were
respectively, admitted. The return for February must not
however be taken as indicating that the greatest prevalence of
the disease happened in that month, because after the Hospital
was filled, which it was in February, the number of admissions
would be regulated by the number of vacancies.
Having given a brief account of the Small Pox epidemic
I now purpose, very succinctly, stating what steps were taken to
prevent its spreading. Soon after the disease appeared it was
proposed to take some building, or make arrangements with some
hospital, for the reception of cases under the powers conferred on
the Board by the Sanitary Act, when the Managers of Mrs.
Gladstone's Convalescent Home proposed to open it for Convalescent
cases, and to admit a certain number of the sick from
this district. The offer was at first agreed to, but subsequently
opposed, so that only 19 residents were admitted there. In the
meantime the Guardians of the Poor took some houses in
Brooksby's Walk and in High Street, Homerton, for treating