vital statistics

1353HEALTH OF ENGLISH AND SCOTCH TOWNS.

were at the time both numerous and strong. The com.

pulsory notification of infectious diseases is stated to beworking well, and this without having led either to con-cealment of cases or to friction of any sort. Good work isalso evidently carried out in such matters as disinfection;and the inspection and supervision of slaughter-houses,bakehouses, and cowsheds is maintained.

VITAL STATISTICS.

HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS.

IN twenty-eight of the largest English towns 5136 birthsand 3966 deaths were registered during the week endingDec. 13th. The annual rate of mortality in these towns,which had been 19-0 and 21-5 per 1000 in the precedingtwo weeks, declined again to 21’3 last week. The ratewas 21’1 in London and 21’5 in the twenty-seven provincialtowns. During the past eleven weeks of the currentquarter the death-rate in the twenty-eight towns averaged20’7 per 1000, and slightly exceeded the mean rate in thecorresponding periods of the ten years 1880-89. The lowestrates in these towns last week were 12’9 in Cardiff,15’6 in Hull, 16’2 in Leicester, and 16’5 in Derby ; thehighest rates were 26’7 in Halifax, 27’2 in Manchester,27-4 in Sheffield, and 33-2 in Preston. The deathsreferred to the principal zymotic diseases, which hadbeen 427 and 472 in the preceding two weeks, further roselast week to 483; they included 213 from measles, 70from scarlet fever, 65 from diphtheria, 57 from whooping-cough, 41 from diarrhoea, 37 from "fever" (principallyenteric), and not one from small-pox. The lowest death-rates from these diseases were recorded in Plymouth, Derby,Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Blackburn; the highest in Halifax,Birkenhead, Bolton, and Preston. The greatest mortalityfrom measles occurred in Leicester, Oldham, Sheffield,Manchester, Preston, Bolton, and Birkenhead; from scarletfever in Bolton, Liverpool, and Halifax; from whooping-cough in Preston, Sunderland, and Norwich; and from"fever" in Huddersfield. The 65 deaths from diphtheriaincluded 45 in London, 5 in Leeds, 3 in Liverpool,and 3 in Portsmouth. No death from small-pox wasregistered in any of the twenty-eight towns; and nosmall-pox patients were under treatment in the Metro-politan Asylum Hospitals or in the Highgate Small-pox Hospital on Saturday last. The number of scarletfever patients in the Metropolitan Asylum Hospitals andin the London Fever Hospital at the end of last weekwas 1803, against numbers declining from 2122 to 1913on the preceding five Saturdays; the patients admittedduring the week were 125, against 139 and 151 in theprevious two weeks. The deaths referred to diseases ofthe respiratory organs in London, which had been 375and 444 in the preceding two weeks, further rose lastweek to 487, but were 8 below the corrected average.The causes of 64, or 1’6 per cent., of the deaths in thetwenty-eight towns were not certified either by a regis-tered medical practitioner or by a coroner. All the causesof death were duly certified in Portsmouth, Norwich,Leeds, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and in six other smaller towns.The largest proportions of uncertified deaths were recordedin Brighton, Liverpool, Preston, and Hull.

HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS.

The annual rate of mortality in the eight Scotch towns,which had been 20’7 and 22’1 per 1000 in the precedingtwo weeks, declined again to 20’1 during the week ending Dec. 13th, and was 1’2 per 1000 below the rate that prevailedduring the same period in the twenty-eight large Englishtowns. The rates in the eight Scotch towns ranged from11’3 in Leith and 17’0 in Greenock to 25’4 in Paisley and281 in Perth. The 519 deaths in the eight Scotchtowns showed a decline of 52 from the number in thepreceding week, and included 16 which were referred towhooping-cough, 12 to measles, 8 to diarrhoea, 6 to

diphtheria, 2 to scarlet fever, 2 to "fever," and not one tosmall-pox. In all, 46 deaths resulted from these principalzymotic diseases, against 87 and 60 in the preceding twoweeks. These 46 deaths were equal to an annual rateof 1-8 per 1000, which was 0’8 below the mean ratelast week from the same diseases in the twenty-eight English towns. The fatal cases of whooping-cough, which had been24 and 13 in the preceding two weeks, rose again lastweek to 16, of which 13 occurred in Glasgow and 3 in Edin-

burgh. The deaths from measles, which had been 24 and12 in the previous two weeks, were again 12 last week,and included 7 in Glasgow and 2 in Greenock. The 6fatal cases of diphtheria showed a further decline from thoserecorded in recent weeks; 3 occurred in Glasgow and 3 inPaisley. The deaths from scarlet fever, which had been 8 and 7’in the preceding two weeks, further declined to 2, both ofwhich occurred in Glasgow. The 2 fatal cases of "fever"’showed a marked further decline from the numbers in.recent weeks. The deaths referred to diseases of therespiratory organs in the eight towns, which had been134 and 159 in the preceding two weeks, declined again,last week to 137, and were 30 below the number in the-corresponding week of last year. The causes of 53, or more"than 10 per cent., of the deaths in the eight towns lastweek were not certified.

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HEALTH OF DUBLIN.

The death-rate in Dublin, which had increased in the.preceding five weeks from 20-7 to 29-7 per 1000, declinedagain to 25-6 during the week ending Dec. 13th. During thefirst eleven weeks of the current quarter the death-rate in the.city averaged 23’3 per 1000, the rate for the same period

being 19-6 in London and 17’9 in Edinburgh. The 173.deaths in Dublin showed a decline of 28 from thenumber in the preceding week, and included 5 whichresulted from different forms of "fever," 4 from whooping-cough, 1 from diarrhoea, but not one either from small--pox, measles, scarlet fever, or diphtheria. Thus thedeaths referred to the principal zymotic diseases, whichhad been 17 and 11 in the preceding two weeks,further declined last week to 10; they were equal toan annual rate of 1-5 per 1000, the rate from the same-

diseases being 2-6 in London and 1-0 in Edinburgh. Thedeaths referred to different forms of "fever," which hadbeen 11 and 4 in the previous two weeks, rose again to 5last week. The fatal cases of whooping-cougb, which hadbeen 3 and 4 in the previous two weeks, were again 4 lastweek. The 173 deaths in the city included 35 of infantsunder one year of age, and 56 of persons aged upwardsof sixty years; the deaths of infants showed a slight furtherincrease upon recent weekly numbers, while those of elderlypersons showed a decline. Two inquest cases and 1 deathfrom violence were registered; and 45, or more than a.

fourth, of the deaths occurred in public institutions. The’causes of 21, or more than 12 per cent., of the deaths in the.city were not certified.

THE SERVICES.

ARMY MEDICAL STAFF.-Deputy Surgeon-General John)George Faught to be Surgeon-General, ranking as Major-General, vice T. Tarrant, M.D., retired (dated Nov. 13th,.1890),BENGAL MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT. - Surgeon-Major

Daniel O’Connell Raye, M.D., to be Brigade Surgeon.(dated Sept. 26th, 1890).MADRAS MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT. - Surgeon-Major-

Terence Joseph McGann to be Brigade Surgeon (datedJuly 25th, 1890) ; Surgeon Clement Mallins, M.D., and.Surgeon Edulji Maleckji Damla to be Surgeons-Major(both dated Sept. 30th, 1890).BOMBAY MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT.-Surgeon Charles

George Walton Lowdell, Surgeon Harry Beecham Briggs,Surgeon Walter Peter Carson, and Surgeon AlexanderSaml. Faulkner to be Surgeons-Major (all dated Sept. 30th,1890).NAVAL MEDICAL SERVICE.-Deputy Inspector-General

of Hospitals and Fleets William Harris Lloyd, M.D., has.been promoted to the rank of Inspector-General of Hos-pitals and Fleets in Her Majesty’s Fleet (dated Nov. 25tb,1890).-In accordance with the provisions of Her Majesty’,%Order in Council of April 1st, 1881, Fleet Surgeon ThomasHall Atkinson and Fleet Surgeon Christopher Harvey havebeen placed on the Retired List at their own request.-Thefollowing appointments have been made at the Admiralty:—Staff Surgeon William P. M. Boyle to the Howe (datedDec. 12th, 1890) ; Surgeon John Andrews to the Belleisle(dated Dec. 15th, 1890) ; Mr. Alexander S. Jameson to beSurgeon and Agent at Collieston.VOLUNTEER CORPS. - Artillery: Acting Surgeon J.

Drummond, M.D., to be Surgeon (dated Dec. 13th, 1890).-