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in every 520 of the population, the mortality from
these diseases in all London was one in 176.
Thus, if the death in St. James's from all these
diseases had been the same as the death in all
London, then we should have lost 207 lives instead
of 70. If all London had only lost in proportion
to its population, the same number of lives in
proportion to its population as the parish of
St. James's, Westminster, then, instead of 13,443
deaths from these diseases, there would have been
but 4,544. In other words, had there been as
little zymotic disease in all London, in proportion
to its population, in 1858, as there was in the
parish of St. James, Westminster, 8,899 lives
would have been saved. I have before spoken of
the money value of life, and I must leave you to
calculate the stupendous prodigality of the present
sanitary arrangements of the Metropolis. The
parish of St. James, Westminster, is by no means
so healthy as it might be, or as I hope it will be ;
but you will see by this comparison with the rest
of London, what is the real object of sanitary
legislation, and what a vast blessing waits upon
the efforts of those who are seeking to prevent the
origin and extension of disease.
Accompanying scarlet fever, and in its epidemic
character resembling that disease, there has prevailed
in this country, for the last two years, a
contagious disease, affecting the mouth, throat, and
air passages, called first, in France, diphtherite, and