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how few cases occurred, it is likely that most of them, if not all
were not true diphtheria, as true diphtheria is a most infectiousdisease,
seldom occurring singly, but often attacking several
persons in a house.
WHOOPING COUGH.
Of the 71 deaths from whooping cough there were 40 in the
parish of Hammersmith and 31 in the parish of Fulham, against
109 cases registered during the previous year, of which there
were 56 in tha parish of Hammersmith, and 53 in the parish of
Fulham. Whooping cough is the zymotic disease from which
the greatest number of deaths was registered last year in London.
It is one of the most, if not the most infectious of diseases, but the
one in which the least regard to isolation is paid. It is greatly to
be regretted that the public as a rule do not realize the necessity
of isolation in the treatment of this disease, as there can be no
doubt that a large number of cases might be prevented if proper
isolation was adopted.
TYPHUS FEVER.
Of the two deaths registered as typhus fever, there was one
in the parish of Hammersmith, and one in the parish of Fulham,
against three registered as typhus the previous year. From
careful enquiries made, I am of opinion, that neither of these
cases was typhus fever, but typhoid. In one of the two cases
registered last year I visited the patient before death. It was
undoubtedly not a case of typhus fever. In the other, so far as
I could gather after death, the evidence was greatly in favour
of its being a case of typhoid.
enteric or typhoid fever.
Of the 20 deaths from typhoid there were 11 in the parish of
Fulham and 9 in the parish of Hammersmith, against 25 cases
registered the previous year, of which there were 13 in the
parish of Hammersmith, and 12 in the parish of Fulham. It
is seldom that a case of typhoid fever is reported till after the
death of the patient, or before he is too bad to be removed.
From the number of deaths registered one may conclude that
not many persons were attacked, that is to say, not many in
proportion to the large population of tl district. This speaks
favourably for the system of drainage, nd for the manner in
which it is managed by your Board. Still, however, it cannot
be denied that with a perfect system of drainage, such a disease
as typhoid fever would not be know. It is of the highest
importance for the prevention of this disease under the present
system of drainage, that there shoud be sufficient ventilation
of the main sewers in order to prevent the sewer gas from being