1602

appear satisfactory. The conditions, too, under which freshfruit and vegetables are imported are, we are told, steadilyimproving. The occurrence of rat and human plague in EastSuffolk led to considerable activity as regards rats beingmanifested in the port of Manchester, and inter alia an

investigation was made as to the conditions obtaining inthe docks and warehouses. It is satisfactory to note thatbut few rats were found, the sheds being of modern con-struction, and many of them erected on the most up-to-datefireproof concrete system. This is the direction in which wemust look in the future-i.e., to the erection of rat-proofwarehouses. The keeping of cats is also encouraged, the::!hip Canal Company paying a capitation grant of d. per dayon each cat kept. But as a matter of precaution the medicalofficer of health sent out a circular to owners explaining theposition and enjoining the rectification of defective drainsand floors and the burning of rats found dead. Moreover,at the instance of the Local Government Board rats werecollected and submitted for bacteriological examination tothe Manchester Public Health Laboratories. All the resultswere negative. Rats were destroyed on 130 vessels duringthe year, the total number killed having been 10.398. Thechief plague-infected ports having trade with Manchesterare Alexandria, Bombay, and Karachi. Mr. Dearden doesnot tell us whether black rats were discovered on the vesselsarriving at Manchester. A differential study of the rat

species would be instructive.

VITAL STATISTICS.

HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS.IN 77 of the largest English towns 8258 births and 4039

deaths were registered during the week ending June 3rd.Based on the results of the recent Census, so far as they areat present available, the estimated population of these 77towns in the middle of this year is 16,257,983. The annualrate of mortality in these towns, calculated on the revised

estimates, which had been equal to 13’ 2 and 13’3 per 1000in the two preceding weeks, declined to 13-0 in theweek under notice. During the first nine weeks of thecurrent quarter the annual rate in these towns averaged14’ 7 per 1000 ; and in London during the same periodthe mean rate was equal to 14-1. The annual reporteddeath-rates last week in the 77 towns ranged from3’5 5 in Reading, 6-3 in Handsworth (Staffs.), 6-4 in EastHam, and 6-7 in Willesden, to 18-3 in West Bromwichand in Liverpool, 19 2 in Newport (Mon.), and 19-9 9in St. Helens. The 4039 deaths from all causes inthe 77 towns last week showed a decline of 72 uponthe number returned in the previous week, and included317 which were referred to the principal epidemicdiseases, against 341 and 366 in the two precedingweeks. Of these 317 deaths, 119 resulted from measles, 76from whooping-cough. 73 from infantile diarrhoea, 26 fromdiphtheria, 14 from scarlet fever, and 9 from enteric fever,but not one from small-pox. The mean annual death-rate from these epidemic diseases in the 77 towns lastweek was equal to 1-0 per 1000, against 1’1 and 1’2 2in the two previous weeks. The fatal cases of measlesin the 77 towns, which had been 173, 136, and 153 inthe three preceding weeks, declined to 119 last week ;the highest annual death-rates from this disease re-

corded in these towns last week were 1-8 in Gateshead,1-9 in Great Yarmouth, and 3-4 in South Shields. Thedeaths from whooping-cough, which had ranged from 134to 87 in the six preceding weeks, further declined lastweek to 76 ; they included 29 in London and its suburbandistricts, 7 in Liverpool and in Manchester, and 3 each inBristol, Stoke-on-Trent, and Leeds. The 73 deaths of childrenunder two years age attributed to diarrhoea was the

highest number recorded in any week of the current year.The deaths referred to diphtheria, which had been 30and 42 in the two previous weeks, declined to 26 lastweek; they included 9 in London and its suburbandistricts, 2 in Leeds and 2 in Newcastle-on-Tyne. The14 cases of scarlet fever were 6 less than the numberrecorded in the previous week; 4 deaths occurred in

Liverpool and 3 in London. The 9 deaths referredto enteric fever were 2 fewer than the number recordedin the previous week, and included 3 deaths inLondon and its suburban districts. The number ofscarlet fever patients under treatment in the Metro-politan Asylums and the London Fever Hospital, which

had increased from 982 to 1097 in the seven preceding weeks,had further risen to 1140 at the end of last week; 186 newcases of this disease were admitted to these hospitals duringlast week, against 157 and 158 in the two previous weeks.These hospitals also contained 808 cases of diphtheria, 529 ofmeasles, 301 of whooping-cough, 35 of enteric fever, and 6of small-pox on Saturday last. The 1053 deaths from allcauses in London last week were 8 fewer than the lownumber in the previous week, and included 134 which werereferred to diseases of the respiratory system, against 173and 153 in the two preceding weeks ; 4 deaths were

referred to influenza. The deaths attributed to differentforms of violence in the 77 towns, which had been 184and 177 in the two previous weeks, were 175 last

week, and 355 inquest cases were registered. The causes

of 27, or 0’7 per cent., of the deaths registered inthe 77 towns last week were not certified either by aregistered medical practitioner or by a coroner. All thecauses of death were duly certified in London and itssuburban districts, Bristol, Bradford, Hull, Nottingham, andin 46 other smaller towns ; the 27 uncertified causes ofdeath in the 77 towns last week included 4 in Birmingham,3 in St. Helens, 3 in Warrington, 2 in Liverpool, and 2 inManchester.

___

HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS.

In eight of the principal Scotch towns, having an

estimated population of 1,710,291 persons (based on therecent Census enumeration), 931 births and 554 deathswere registered during the week ending June 3rd.The annual rate of mortality in these towns, whichhad been 15’ 8 and 17’ 7 in the two preceding weeks, declinedto 16-9 in the week under notice. During the first nineweeks of the current quarter the annual rate in these townsaveraged 17 9 per 1000 of the revised estimate of theirpopulation, and was 3’2 per 1000 above the revised meanrate during the same period in the 77 large English towns.The annual death-rate last week ranged in the eight townsfrom 14 4 and 14’5 in Aberdeen and Edinburgh.to 17’3inGreenock and 19-2 in Glasgow. The 554 deaths from allcauses in the eight towns last week showed a decrease of 27from the number in the previous week, and included 67which were referred to the principal epidemic diseases,against 72 and 67 in the two previous weeks ; of these 67deaths, 43 resulted from whooping-cough, 11 from measles,7 from diarrhoea, 4 from diphtheria, and 2 from scarletfever, but not one from enteric fever or from small-pox.The mean annual death-rate from these epidemic diseases inthe eight towns last week was equal to 2’ 0 per 1000, andexceeded by I - 0 the mean rate from the same diseases in the77 English towns. The fatal cases of whooping-cough in theeight towns, which had been 43, 49, and 37 in the three pre-ceding weeks, rose again to 43 last week, and included 22in Glasgow, 5 in Dundee, and 4 each in Edinburgh, Aber-deen, and Perth. The 11 deaths from measles were twofewer than the number in the previous week, and were allregistered in Glasgow. Of the 7 deaths from diarrhoea, 6were of infants under two years of age; 5 deaths wererecorded in Glasgow. Two of the 4 fatal cases of diphtheriaoccurred in Leith, and the 2 deaths attributed to scarletfever in Glasgow. The deaths resulting from diseases of therespiratory system in the eight towns, which had been 75,66, and 78 in the three preceding weeks, were 76 last week,and were 6 below the number in the correspondingweek of last year. Of the 554 deaths from all causesin the eight towns last week, 191, or 34 per cent., wererecorded in public institutions, and 23 were attributed todifferent forms of violence. The causes of 14, or 2’5 5 percent., of the deaths in the eight towns last week were notcertified or not stated; in the 77 English towns last weekthe proportion of uneertified causes of death did not exceed0 - 7 per cent.

THE SERVICES.

ROYAL NAVY MEDICAL SERVICE.THE following appointments have been noticed:—Sur-

geons : F. J. Gowans to the Victory, additional, for HaslarHospital, and to Haslar Hospital for instruction of sickberth sbaff; G. H. S. Milln to the Prinoe George, adtlitional,for Portsmouth sub-division of Home Fleet ; and W. G. M.Anderson to Portsmouth Dockyard.