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11
Large Towns of thk United Kingdom.
During the 52 weeks of 1871, amongst the rather more
than 7 millions of people living in London and the 19 other
large cities of the United Kingdom furnishing weekly returns.
the birth rate was equal to 36 per 1000, and the death rate
to 27.
The 164,219 deaths from all causes in the 17 largest
English towns during 1871 included 43,113, or 20.2 per cent.
of infants under 1 year.
The annual rate of mortality in five groups of Metropolitan
districts were 22.8 in the West, 23.8 in the North,
24.4 in the Central, 26.8 in the East, and 25.1 in the South.
The death rate from all causes in London was 24.7 per
1000, and higher than in any year since 1866, when cholera
was epidemic. Exclusive of the deaths from small-pox, the
rate would have been but 22.3 per 1000.
Epidemics.
Small-pox, although not extensively epidemic in the
Lewisham district, was more prevalent than it had been, and
19 deaths were registered from this cause, the highest mortality
since 1867, when 14 deaths took place.
Scarlet fever, although not so fatal as in the three
previous years, destroyed 25 lives.
With regard to the former disease (small-pox), it has
been long well known, and has lately been additionally
proved, that the efficiently performed operation of vaccination
and re-vaccination puts a stop to the disease, by destroying
the liability of any vaccinated person to receive it, although
its zume may still exist; but sanitary measures are not the
less necessary.
With regard to scarlet fever, no such remedy is known;
still it is to preventive measures that we must look for success
in stamping out epidemic disease; the immediate object being
to isolate the patient and destroy all diseased germs which
emanate from the body, which are so potent in conveying
contagion.
There is no doubt that if the first case of scarlet fever in
a given locality could be discovered; by stringent sanitary