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9
The following Table will shew that our annual mortality contrasts
favourably with that of the neighbouring districts—
mortality.
Chelsea 26 per 1,000
St. Margaret's Westminster and St. James 27
There are only three parishes in London in which the rate is more
favourable than in our own, viz.—
Lewisham 17 per 1,000
St. George's, Hanover-square, and Hampstead 18 ,,
while
Whitechapel and St. George's in the East averaged 29 per 1,000
St. Saviour's, Southwark 33 „
Liverpool 36 „
The average of London, generally, is 25 per 1,000.
There is, however, room in our parish for much improvement; and
I fully believe that, by continuing to enforce sanitary measures, our
mortality may be reduced to 17 per 1,000, which may be termed the
natural mortality.
That certain moral and physical causes are at work to increase our
death-rate is shewn by the Table, which exhibits the comparative
mortality of the gentry and paupers. From this it would appear that
the gentry are but little affected by situation—their mean age in Kensington
being 45, while with paupers it is 44, lower than the
majority of the metropolitan parishes.
The mortality during the past year is less by 180 than in 1855—
It would be difficult to prove to what extent this saving of human
life has been owing to sanitary improvements; but we cannot but
be aware that all such improvements have a salutary tendency, and that
every life saved tends to the decrease of pauperism and the alleviation
of all parochial burthens.
We must remember that, even apart from moral considerations,
every life has its value, and that each man contributes towards the
wealth and stability of his country.
Again, we may say, that if 180 deaths have been saved to this
parish during the past year, at least 1,800 cases of illness, and consequent
loss of work, have also been warded off; for to every death
there are at least ten cases of sickness which recover. It is obvious
that the preservation from illness of far more than a thousand cases
must act most beneficially on the social and economical condition of
the parish.