View report page

28
This table shows the great differences in the mortality in
various years from the diseases mentioned. Thus, between
1875 and 1885 inclusive, the mortality from small-pox varied
between 2 in 1875, 225 in 1881, and 210 in 1884. The number
of deaths from measles also oscillated greatly, having been as
low as 15 in 1876 and as high as 168 in 1885. The same
remark applies, but in a less degree, to scarlet fever, which
caused a mortality of 29 in 1885, and 144 in 1882; and also to
diphtheria, which produced 51 deaths in 1882 and only 1 in
1881. Whooping cough and "fevers," chiefly typhoid, vary
less in their mortality, as the smallest number registered from
whooping cough in any one year, viz. 43, occurred in 1877,
against a maximum of 182 in 1882; and a minimum from
"fevers" of 27 in 1880, against a maximum of 84 in 1884.
The largest number of deaths from these diseases in any one
year occurred from diarrhoea, viz., 190 in 1884 against 67 in
1879, which was the smallest figure from this disease in the
11 years.
The tendency to recur as an epidemic at regular intervals
is very marked, thus small-pox was epidemic in 1877, 1881, and
in 1884-5, so that it is not at all likely that it will recur to any
extent before the autumn of 1887, or perhaps of 1888. Measles
also to somewhat less extent recurs every 4 years, or nearly so,
having been prevalent in 1877, 1881 and especially in 1885.
Scarlet fever prevailed extensively in 1874, 1878 and 1881-2,
so that it may be looked for as an epidemic in 1886-7, or at the
latest in 1887-8. An unusual prevalence of diarrhoea depends
on hot weather, so that it is scarcely safe to make any