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31
Number of Births and Deaths, Hate of Mortality &c.—
The deaths registered in the past year, it will be seen,
numbered 1,002. Males, 531; females, 471. As many
as 137 of these deaths occurred in the Union Workhouse
situated in this parish, but 93 of which were of persons
not belonging to the parish. If these be deducted from
the general total, it will, of course, reduce the mortality
proper to the parish to 909.
The births during the same period were 1,386; males,
757, females, 629. The excess of births over the deaths
proper to the parish is therefore 476, which last number
gives the natural increase of the population.
In view of these statistics, and assuming the population
to have doubled itself since 1861, it would place the death
rate at a fraction over 25 per 1,000 living.* For an exceptional
year, especially so as regards the fatality of
many of the worst diseases that could befall a population
such as that of Battersea, this is not, perhaps, a higher
rate than might have been reasonably anticipated, but
certainly far too high at which to express any great
amount of satisfaction.
Zymotic Diseases.—Diseases of this class, it will be
observed, hold a very prominent position in the table as
regards the number of deaths. Small pox, it is true,
furnished in the past year less deaths by 2 to the mortuary
register than it did to that of 1865, and Scarlet
Fever 13 less; but under all the other principal maladies
of this class, the mortality is shewn to have been much
greater than the average, and to have exceeded to a very
considerable extent that of the previous year. In the
aggregate, the deaths from the seven principal Zymotic
* This assumption of the increase of population, and the consequent death-rate,
is founded on some valuable and reliable statistics furnished by the Board's able
Surveyor for Bat'ersea, Mr. Buckham—He fin's that since 1859, and down to the
present time, 3,302 houses have been erected in the Parish. This gives an average for
the 8 years of about 412 new houses per year, which for the six years from 1861 to
1866, inclusive, (and in the former of these years the Census gave 19,852 as the
population) would amount to 2,572 houses. If, then, an average of 7 persons be
taken as the inmates of each house, it would give the large number of 18,004 additional
inhabitants from this source alone. Add to this a portion only of the natural
increase for the six years, as shown by the excess of births over deaths, and the
statement that the population has quite doubled itself since 1861, is fully borne out.