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38
Zymotic Diseases in 1868.
These diseases which are also called Catching,
Infections, and Contagious Diseases, present a group
which are of the greatest interest to the Medical
Officer of Health. They are all propagated by
poisons which are either conveyed from one diseased
human body to another, or having been produced
by animal or vegetable poisons, the diseased human
body propagates the same poison. If man lived
under proper sanitary conditions these diseases
could not exist, and just in proportion as we improve
our sanitary conditions do they diminish. Now
there are two things that have a tendency to
develop these diseases. The first is overcrowding,
and the second is ignorance. In my last Report I
discussed the question of overcrowding, and pointed
out to you, that unless some further provision were
made for lodging the working classes in your Parish
very little good would attend any effort to depopulate
your densely crowded streets, since you must send
the inhabitants to districts equally overpopulated
with your own. Under these circumstances the
best thing to be done is to keep a watchful eye on
these diseases wherever they break out, and to
exercise whatever personal influence can be brought