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child about two years old suffering from Small-pox on the other side; as she refused
to permit the diseased child to be removed, I vaccinated the babe at once, and it took
effect completely; a few days ago I saw the Father of the babe, who lives in Bermondsey,
and he informed me that it never had had Small-pox, although it had recently
been in the midst of it; this case proves the protective power of Vaccination, and
that there is no limit to the time when the operation may be performed.
The efficacy of Re-vaccination has been in some degree tested, by the opportunity
afforded me of watching its effects upon the police force under my care; I have vaccinated
them on three separate occasions, and at intervals of some years, and I do not
remember that any of them suffered from Small-pox afterwards; during the present
epidemic there has been no case of Small-pox in the division under my management.
Measles were fatal in nine cases.
Whooping-cough has considerably abated, fifteen deaths having been registered
Diarrhoea caused the death of twenty-two children, all under two years of age.
Diptheria. Two deaths were occasioned by this disease.
One hundred and eighty two deaths were due to diseases of the air passages and
organs of respiration; diseases of the Larynx caused two deaths, Croup four, Bronchitis
sixty-three, Pneumonia twenty-two, and Phthisis ninety-one; Bronchitis is chiefly
destructive to the young and those past the middle period of life, Pneumonia to the
young, and the victims of Phthisis, are more numerous about the middle period of life.
Diseases of the nervous system, inflammatory complaints besides those already
enumerated, the diseases of children, and other causes of death, represent the number
of deaths from all causes, during the year, at six hundred and fifteen, three hundred
and six males, and three hundred and nine females, being sixty-four less than in the
former year.
Deaths.
From April 1, to June 30, 1870 125
„ July 1, to September 30, 1870 152
„ October 1, to December 31, 1870 174
„ January 1, to March 31, 1871 164
615
Some deductions must be made from the above statement, inasmuch as forty-seven
Coroner's Inquests have been held, the majority having been on bodies found in the
Thames, and brought ashore at Rotherhithe; many of these could not be identified as
inhabitants of the Parish, and must consequently be struck off the list of deaths, to the
amount of twenty; three deaths also occurred from small-pox in the temporary hospital
belonging to the Union, which had been sent from other parishes, and as fifty-five
cases of registered deaths occurred in the Union Infirmary, and I have ascertained that
twenty-five of the patients were sent from other parishes, viz., twenty-one from Bermondsey,
one from St. Olave's, and four from St. John's parish, we shall find the
actual number of deaths to amount to five hundred and sixty-seven, and the rate of
mortality, estimating the population at twenty-eight thousand, as 20.25, per thousand.
The list of deaths includes that of a male aged 101.