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' 27
STREATHAM, TOOTING, & BALHAM.
Report on the Sanitary Condition of Streatham, including Tooting,
and Balham, for the year 1856. By Mr. A. Brown, Mr. W.
Chapman, and Mr. F. Ward.
TO THE BOARD OF WORKS FOR THE WANDSWORTH DISTRICT.
Gentlemen,
Streatham, Tooting, and Balham being one registration district,
and recognised as such for all statistical purposes, it has been considered
that the year's retrospect of the sanitary operations and events of the
three localities might, to the saving of considerable space, be very properly
included in one report. We have much pleasure, therefore, in placing
before the Board the facts we have individually and collectively gathered,
having reference to the subject we are called upon to discuss.
First, as to Streatham (under the sanitary superintendence of Mr.
Alexander Brown), it is with pleasure stated that the improvements which
have been carried out under the direction of your Board, have been attended
by a very visible diminution of sickness, and a most marked decline in the
rate of mortality during the past year compared with the general average.
The effect of these improvements have been more particularly shown in
the diminished amount of epidemic disease, such as fever, diarrhæa, scarlatina,
and maladies of that class; the few cases that have occurred having
been, for the most part, of a mild type and yielding more readily to treatment
than formerly.
The amount of sickness and the rate of mortality amongst the union
poor during 1856, was also slight in Streatham, affording, it is thought,
strong evidence of the operation of very favourable sanitary influences.
Of 85 cases of sickness amongst the poor coming under treatment in 1856,
5 only resulted in death, and not one of these deaths arose from zymotic
disease.
In Balham and Upper Tooting (Mr. Ward's sub-district), the same
favourable state of things has to be recorded. Of 54 cases of pauper
sickness, 9 deaths appear to have occurred here during the past year; but,
as in Streatham, not a single individual died of any disease coming under
the denomination of zymotic.
In Lower Tooting (under Mr. Chapman's sanitary direction), a low
rate of mortality amongst the union poor during 1856 has to be mentioned.
There were in this sub-district, during the year, 106 cases of sickness
amongst this class of patients, of which number 9 resulted in death, and
what is a little singular, here also, not one person of the class named
succumbed to epidemic disease.
In all three localities, then, the most favourable influences may be considered
to have been in operation to produce such satisfactory results as
have been here referred to.