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56
crease of 4 deaths in St. Peter's, but a decrease of 81 deaths in
St. Paul's, and 31 in Fulham. Here it should be mentioned that
these numbers do not accurately represent the proportions of these
deaths that would have taken place in the three sub-districts. In
correctly estimating we should subtract from Fulham and add to
the other sub-districts, the death of parishioners who had been removed
from Hammersmith to Fulham Small-pox Hospital for the
purpose of isolation. Of the 460 deaths from zymotic diseases
there were 118 from small-pox, of which 37 were those of parishioners,
against 54 of parishioners the previous year, 81 were of
non-parishioners against 85 the previous year. There were 56
deaths from measles against 27 the previous year; 92 from scarlet
fever against 95; 10 from diphtheria against 21: 71 from
ing cough against 109; 2 from typhus, against 3; 20 from enteric
fever, against 25; 2 from simple continued fever, against 7;
88 from diarrhœa, against 140; and I from English cholera, against
6. Thus we see that the death from all these diseases, except
measles, were fewer last year than the previous year. There
being, collectively, 127 less deaths from small pox, scarlet fever,
diphtheria, whooping cough, diarrhoea, typhus, typhoid, simple continued
fever, and English cholera; but an increase of 46 deaths
from measles. The fact that there were 108 fewer deaths from
zymotic diseases last year than the year previous is very satisfactory,
and more particularly so is it apparent when we consider
that last y£ar there was an increase of 7,000 inhabitants in the
district.
SMALL-POX EPIDEMIC.
The epidemic of small pox which become more and more
prevalent in London during the year 1876, still exists in the
Metropolis. Nevertheless, the number of deaths recorded last
year was less than in either of the three previous years. There
>eems, however, to be very little chance of the disease disappearing
under the present system, as deaths from it have been
registered in London during each year since 1867; the smallest
number of deaths from small pox registered in London during
that period being 56 in 1874; the largest number 7876 in 1871
One thing is very clear that the measures now in force for stamping
out this frightful plague are not yet sufficient to accomplish
the object in view, that a large amount of good is done, and that
the number of cases would be greatly increased but for the
system now adopted cannot be doubted. It cannot be said,
however, that the whole case is satisfactory in the face of the fact
that during the last four years—1876 to 1879—5,153 persons
died, and about 6o,oco persons have been attacked with this
loathsome disease in London alone. It seems strange that no
fresh steps have been taken in order to prevent, during the next