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68
District. Careless domestic management causes the spread of
infection, and coldness of the season produces the mortality. The
disease was more prevalent and fatal in the metropolis than it
had been for 50 years before.
Scarlet fever was below the average. This dangerous disease
is also spread through infection, especially the mild cases. A
child may have the disease slightly, so that in a day or two it
may appear nearly well, and be allowed to run about. Yet it
may be capable of spreading the infection for a month or even
six weeks. And it is difficult to confine a child, apparently well,
to one room during this time.
No death occurred from typhus fever.
3 deaths occurred from typhoid fever in the parish, and 3 in
hospitals removed from the parish. It is marvellous to consider
that among 70,000 persons, 6 only should die of this disease in
a year. Its prevalence is usually considered par excellence a sign
of bad sanitation, which surely cannot be said to exist in this
parish. with such a result. Most truly did Sir Charles Dilke
state that "your water supply and closets are your good points."
The deaths from hooping cough were considerably below the
average.
The deaths from diarrhœa were below the average. Allowing
a certain mortality from this disease among infants, the
principal sufferers, arising from bad domestic managements,
an excess will always be caused by increase of temperature.
This especially occurs in the third or summer quarter,
which in 1885 was below the average temperature. Hence the
reduction of mortality from this disease.
The zymotic diseases are largely spread through the agency
of the London School Boards, the infectious, yet apparently
healthy recent sufferers from these diseases being mixed with
healthy children. Every School Board should have a medical