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9
From this Table it will be seen that the number
of fatal cases of zymotic disease has been 23 less
in 1858 than in 1857, 15 less than in 1856, and
60 less than in 1855, the year before any sanitary
operations had been commenced in the parish.
There can be no doubt that zymotic diseases affect
those most severely who are exposed to the devitalizing
action of impure air, and other defective
sanitary arrangements. The prevailing forms of
zymotic disease has varied in each year. Thus in
1855 and 1856 the most fatal disease was hooping
cough; in 1857 it was diarrhœa; and in 1858 it was
scarlet fever. This latter disease, although most
prevalent in the Berwick Street division of the
parish, carried off 9 persons in the Golden Square
district, and 12 in the St. James's Square district,
thus shewing that it is not merely overcrowding
that invites the attacks of this disease. In reference
to the occurrence of this disease amongst the more
wealthy and better housed inhabitants of the parish,
I made the following remarks in my Report presented
to Vestry on the 2nd of June, 1858:—
"Such cases indicate that the utmost care on
"the part of individuals is insufficient to prevent
"the attacks of these diseases, whilst the sur"rounding
population is careless or exposed to
"the causes which propagate and maintain them.
"The way in which contagious diseases may be
"introduced into families where sanitary arrange"ments
are more or less complete are three;