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11
A conscientious scrutiny of the results obtained in former Reports has always
left some misgiving that the diminution in the mortality below the death-rate that
was prevailing at and before 1857, might be due rather to removal of the population
than to a real decrease in deaths among the residents. This Table, as now corrected,
may, however, be taken as evidence that the fall in the rate of deaths in the past
three years, is real and substantial. The improvement is not, indeed, so progressive
as might be wished, and we may still expect, with the means at our disposal, to see
further progress made. The obstacles in the way of sanitary authorities, are
doubtless serious, arising from the imperfection of the powers conferred on them bv
the Legislature, and from the great and stubborn apathy of a poor population. That
thirty-two deaths occurred in St. Giles's from small-pox, in the course of the
winter of 1859-60, may serve to illustrate the effect of inefficient legislation and
popular ignorance in fostering a disease which may, with perfect certainty, be
prevented.
Let us now pass to the smaller sub-divisions of our district that have served us
in former years as the basis of our remaining statistical enquiries. We may here
repeat the boundaries of these sub-divisions—their houses and inhabitants at the
census of 1851 are given in the first of the following Tables. It has not appeared
worth while in the present Report to use these latter particulars except as still indicating
roughly the closeness of population in each locality.*
A. Bedford-square locality—bounded by Gower-street, Tottenham Courtroad,
and Great Russell-street, comprising 29 acres, of which four may be deducted
for Bedford-square.
B. Russell-square locality.—Between Gower-street, Great Russell-street,
Southampton-row, and Woburn-place, 67 acres, 21 being deducted for Squares, and
for the open space of the British Museum.
C. Great Coram-street locality.—From Woburn-place to the north and east
boundaries of the district, 28 acres.
D. Bloomsbury-square locality.—Between the lines of Great Russell-street
and Bloomsbury place on the north, and of Oxford-street and Holborn to the south,
30 acres, of which 3 may be taken out for Bloomsbury-square.
E. Church-lane locality.—Between Oxford-street, Holborn, Broad-street,
and High-street, 12 j acres.
F. Dudley - street locality.—Bounded by Crown - street, High-street, and
Great and Little St. Andrew's-streets, 13 acres.
G. Short's-gardens locality.—The group of houses between Broad-street,
Drury-lane, Castle-street, and St. Andrew's-streets, 14½ acres. Here are the
Workhouse and Lying-in Hospital.
H & K. Northern Drury-lane and Southern Drury lane localities.—The two
extending between Drury-lane, Holborn, Little Queen-street, and Lincoln's Innfields,
to the southern extremity of the district, the two being divided by Great
Queen-street, and comprising 14 acres each.
L. Lincoln's Inn fields locality—taking in all the houses of Lincoln's Innfields,
and of the streets around up to the boundaries of the district. Of the 23
acres, ten are to be deducted in estimating the habitable space.
The mortality from all causes, in I860, in each of these localities is indicated
below. Cases dying in the workhouse and hospitals, are distinguished for each.
* The population of these ten sub-divisions for 1861 has since been ascertained, and is placed at the end
of the Appendix, No. IX.