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May 15th, 1882.
During the fortnight that ended on the 6th day of May
117 births and 93 deaths were registered in the parish. These
numbers are equal to an annual birth rate of 34.7, an d an
annual rate of mortality of 27.6 per 1000 of the estimated
population. The corresponding death rate in London was
20.2. The deaths included 30 children under one year of
age, and 14 persons aged 60 years and upwards.
The chief diseases of the zymotic class caused 29 deaths,
of which 22 were from whooping cough, 5 from measles, one
from scarlet fever, and one from continued fever.
From diseases of the respiratory organs there were 23
deaths, of which 15 were attributed to bronchitis, 3 to
pneumonia, 2 to croup, and 3 to other diseases.
Tubercular diseases caused 7 deaths, viz.: Phthisis 6 and
abes mesenterica 1.
The other causes of death included 5 from apoplexy, 4
from old age, 3 from heart disease, and 5 from wasting
diseases of infants.
Nine Inquests were held. In 5 the deaths were referred
to natural causes, and in 4 to violence.
On the 6th instant I accompanied the Inspector to a
butcher's shop in the occupation of George Godbolt, at Bermondsey
New Road. In the back yard we found half the
carcase of an old cow which appeared to be unfit for human
food. This was removed, and, on the following Monday, it
was condemned by the magistrate, and ordered to be
destroyed. In the shop there were several sheep said to be
"Australian." The outsides of the bodies were spotted all
over with mould. The insides were lined with a thick coat
of green mould, and in many parts they were sodden with a
dark brown offensive looking fluid. The flesh, when cut into
and exposed to the air, rapidly became offensive to the smell.
These sheep appeared to me to be unfit for human food, but as
the question was a new and an important one, I directed a
sample only to be seized and submitted to the magistrate.
On the evidence of the City Inspector, who had passed this