View report page

54
at home and abroad, and in a report presented on the subject I
strongly urged that every possible support should be given to
the London County Council with regard to the scheme which
they had in view. It was clearly shown that the theory of the
opponents of the measure, that the abolition of private slaughterhouses
would increase the price of meat was entirely fallacious,
as was proved by the price of meat at home and abroad
where the public abattoir system was in full force. Unfortunately
the measure did not-come as far as the House of
Commons, but it is one of such grave importance that it is to
be hoped that the consideration of it by that body is only
suspended for a while. With regard to the influence of milk
on the spread of the disease, the more careful inspection of cowhouses
and dairies, the veterinary inspection of cattle, and the
bacteriological examination of milk, cannot fail to do something
to lessen the ravages of this disease among the infantile population,
where it is a curious fact that the death rate has not
diminished during the last fifty years, whereas among adults it
has considerably declined.
MEASLES.
Sixteen deaths arose from this disease, thus equalling the
combined deaths from diphtheria and scarlet fever, and I fail to
see how its ravages can be lessened until it is made a notifiable
disease, with the possibility of isolation.
Appended is a list of the various causes of death:—
I. Zymotic Diseases.
(a.) Measles.—In St. Saviour seven deaths, and in Christchurch
nine deaths were registered.
(6.) Scarlet Fever.—Only one death in an outlying institution
was registered.
(c.) Whooping Cough.—In St. Saviour there were seven deaths,
in Christchurch two, and in outlying institutions three.
(d.) Tyjihoid Fever.—One death in St. Saviour, and three in
outlying institutions.
(e.) Diarrhoea.—Ten cases in St. Saviour, eleven in Christchurch,
and four in outlying institutions.
(/.) Venereal.—One in Christchurch and one in an institution.
(g.) Septic.—One in Christchurch and six in outlying institutions.
(h.) Zoogenous.—One in an outlying institution.