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Class IV.
Local Diseases. The diseases of this class were responsible
for 1,637 deaths during the year, no less than 647 being due to
diseases of the respiratory organs, 396 to nervous diseases, and 254
to diseases of the digestive organs. The mortality rate for the whole
class is 7.5 per 1,000 living persons.
Class V.
Violence. The large number of 117 deaths were due, during
the year, to this cause, giving a death-rate of .5 per 1,000 living
persons.
Class VI.
Ill-Defined Causes. The deaths under this head numbered
202, and are equivalent to a death-rate of .9 per 1,000 living persons.
PUBLIC HEALTH (LONDON) ACT, 1891.
Under this Act 4,074 Nuisances were abated during 1897.
Intimation notices alone secured the abatement of 3,550; over 400
were abated after service of statutory notices; and legal proceedings
had to be instituted in 95 cases. The results of these are set out in
full on page 67 of this report.
Amongst the summonses heard at the North London Police
Court, there is only one calling for comment; this was a summons
for conveying spent gas lime, commonly known as "blue billy," in a
barge uncovered and during prohibited hours, along the river Lea
in contravention of the London County Council's bye-laws. The
case turned on the point whether this material was offensive. I
gave evidence that it was not only offensive, but very dangerous to
health. The defendant produced no medical evidence to prove either
its inoffensive or innocuous character; but was fortunate in having
as witnesses the Clerk and the Analyst to the Lea Conservancy Board.
The Magistrate decided to visit the Gas Works and see a sample of
spent lime. After his visit he gave as his opinion that spent gas lime
was neither offensive nor dangerous to health and mulct the Vestry
in heavy costs.