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are rot going to have their children's blood poisoned by the diseases of other children;
but this has, in a great measure, been got over by the system of direct vaccination from
the calf; then again, in the country the population is not so migrating, and can readily
be traced by the vaccination officer and got at by the medical officer of health and other
medical men who take an interest in sanitation, upon these grounds vaccination is
much more efficiently carried out in the country than in London. Lastly, in London,
we all know the migratory habits of the working classes; that is, I think, another
reason for the increase of small pox (by contagion in streets, &c.); and a third is, that
the work of isolation and disinfection is carried out by the officers of two separate
authorities—the vestries and the boards of guardians.
The deaths from "fevers'" were numerically small, 13 in all, 2 from separate
outbreaks of "typhus," and 11 casualties of enteric fever. Isolation was successfully
effected in each instance of the former, no spread of the contagion occurring. Three
cases of fever were sent to hospital. The" fever" rate was 0.3 per 1000.
Class II.—Constitutional Diseases.
These were the cause of 120 deaths: 31 were registered as occurring in children
under 5 years old. Phthisis, Scrofula, Tabes Mesenterica, were the chief headings.
Class III.—Local Diseases.
345 deaths occurred from that cause; the "Local" child death rate was 3.05 per
thousand.
Class IV.—Developmental Diseases.
Here we had 86 deaths recorded. The Developmental child death rate was 2.03
per thousand.
As usual, Malformations, Birth, and Old Age were the chief causes of the death
entries in this class.
Class V.—Violent Deaths.
42 violent deaths are recorded—32 due to drowning.
Fifty-three Inquests were held, and 16 deaths were uncertified, but in each of
these the Coroner's sanction for burial was previously obtained. The Mortuary,
useful as it is, is hardly equal to our wants during an epidemic of infectious disease.
There is pressing necessity for another chamber for the reception of corpses which are
dangerous to health, either from advanced decomposition while waiting the Coroner's
Inquest, or from death being duo to small pox, typhus fever, scarlatina, &c. I have
prepared some plans for its improvement, which I hope to bring shortly before the
Sanitary Committee.
These Tables following give in detail the Ssnitary records of the year, and will
explain themselves comment—they complete the statistics necessary for comparison
with the Annual Report of the Registrar General for 1881:—