Lectures on the eruptive fevers : as now in the course of delivery at St. Thomas's hospital, in London / by George Gregory.
- George Gregory
- Date:
- 1851
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Lectures on the eruptive fevers : as now in the course of delivery at St. Thomas's hospital, in London / by George Gregory. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
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![cent. In both these cities, the proportion was one third more during the last two decennial periods (from 1826 to 1835) than during the period from 1816 to 1825. In Boston, the deaths by these diseases from 1831 to 1840 inclusive, amounted to one in nearly nine and a half, or over ten and a half per cent., and from 1841 to 1845 inclusive, one in about eight, or a little more than twelve per cent. See Table A in Appendix.] If the exanthemata are considered independent of the hooping cough, considerable fluctuations will be per- ceived, the mortahty by them falling sometimes as low as six per cent, at times rising to near thirteen; but a very important principle comes into play here, which serves to equalize the amount of epidemic mortality. This curious doctrine had long been surmised, but was never proved until the statistical inquiries of recent times showed its correctness. We may, for want of a better name, call it the law of vicarious mortality, by which is understood, that whenever one epidemic diminishes, another increases, so that the sum total of epi- demic mortality remains, on an average of years, nearly the same. The following table exemplifies this :— Table exhibiting the amount of Epidemic Mortality in England and Wales, during the years 1838, 1839, 1840. Small Pox .... Measles ..... Scarlet Fever .... Total mortality by the Exan-) themata . . . .) Hooping Cough .... Total of Epidemic Mortality Total Mortality throughout ^ England and Wales , f Year 1838. Year 1839. Year 1840. 16,268 6,514 5,802 9,131 10,937 10,325 10,434 9,326 19,816 28,584 9,107 30,393 8,165 39,576 6,132 37,691 38,558 45,708 342,529 338,979 359,561](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21055257_0024.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
