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special microscopic organism peculiar to itself, which can be seen, measured; and even
cultivated and so diluted, that while its death-producing properties are nullified, its
usual protective power against another attack of the same malady remains. This fact
has been proved to demonstration by experiments on the lower animals made with the
cultivated microscopic germs of cattle plague and fowl cholera.
The protection against small pox afforded us by vaccination with genuine lymph
(if it is calf lymph) seems to be an example in the human subject; and I expect in my
next Report to put some striking evidence of the possibility of state medicine eventually
practically erasing now dreaded illnesses from its death record. Amongst these,
probablv, will be some of the "principal communicable diseases' (seven in number),
which now ravage our ranks, and especially single out our children for victims.
The Rotherhithe general zymotic deaths were 228, 132 of which were caused by
the "seven principal ailments," i.e. small pox, measles, scarlatina, diphtheria, whooping
cough, fever in its three common varieties, and diarrhœa.
The death rate from these was 3.6 per thousand, that of all London being 3.8.
Five cases of small pox (not quite one-half of the average) were fatal; in all I failed to
find evidence which would justify me in describing them as "vaccinated."
The deaths from measles were about half the usual average, but the scarlatina and
diarrhoea rates exceeded it, while diphtheria, whooping cough and "fever" rates were
below it. Amongst the "general zymotic disease" losses, we find that there was one
from puerperal fever, fourteen occurred from rheumatism and its effects, six from alcoholism,
two more from "enthetic disease," and the remainder from a complication of
complaints more or less zymotic in origin. Although three deaths from reputed
typhus and three from cholera were reported, no spread of these complaints occurred
in the houses in which they occurred. This suggests to you one of two alternatives,
i.e., either incorrect diagnosis or effective sanitation. You may prefer to suppose with
me, that your prophylactive measures were successful. 110 children in all succumbed
to the three zymotic class of disease, and its "child rate" was 3.03 per thousand.
Class II.—Constitutional Disease.
Here the greatest death factor was consumption. The death rate was 3.5 per
1000, the tubercular death rate being 3.1 per 1000; the wasting diseases of children
1.1 per 1000, and child death rate 1.2 per 1000. The total London death rate was
4.7 per 1000.
Class III.—Local Disease.
This division comprising most fatalities arising from degeneration of the different
vital organs or injuries sustained by them in the ordinary battle of life, is, as said above,
usually the largest you have to consider and comment on. Extensively influenced by
meteorological and seasonal changes, it gives us a death rate of 8.08 per thousand,
while the London rate was 10T. As I now return many illnesses as zymotic, which I
formerly tabulated as local, this difference is perhaps more apparent than real.