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owing to the striking differences which have been observed
in the mortuary rates of the several sub-districts, and
especially in Dulwich as compared with Peckham and
St. George's.
There is no doubt that, other tilings being equal,
mortuary rates should be a fair and trustworthy measure of
the relative sanitary states of localities. But unfortunately
"other things" are very rarely equal, and the inequality is
sometimes enormous.
In the first place we ought to have an accurate
enumeration of the population. But this is practically
impossible excepting at the time of the taking of the
census; and even then it must be recollected that in a
population like our own, where the rise and fall probably
depends more on immigration and emigration than on births
and deaths, each item of the estimated population represents
not a single individual but portions of the annual duration
of two or three lives. Further it must be borne in mind, as
has been shown in the course of our own parochial progress,
that the rate of increase in different sub-districts is liable
to irregular and considerable variations; so that our
estimates of population made in accordance with wellrecognised
rules often lead us widely astray. In the next
place we ought to have an accurate enumeration of the
deaths due to the several sub-districts, inasmuch as a
correct death-rate depends fundamentally on a correct
estimate of the population amongst which the deaths occur,
and on a correct return of the number of deaths. But our
death returns, although they have improved much of late
years, are still not absolutely correct. It may be reasonably
assumed that the actual returns of persons dying in