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4
The Report is, as a public health record, uniformly satisfactory ;
there is abundant testimony scattered throughout its pages, to the
exceptional healthiness of the parish, and it will be noted that for
the year 1894 we occupy the enviable position of furnishing a lower
general death-rate than any other district within the Metropolitan
area.
The year was, in these islands, remarkable for its low mortality
returns; the general death-rate of England and Wales, and
the death-rate from infectious diseases generally—with the sole
exception of Diphtheria—were all below the mean of the previous
10 years. So far as Stoke Newington was concerned, there was
nothing beyond the testimony that the year afforded of the exceptional
healthiness of the district to make it notable. There were
no serious outbreaks of infectious disease, save those which the
parish shared in common with London generally, and these were
felt less in Stoke Newington than in other and neighbouring
districts.
I am in no small measure indebted to Dr. Jackman for the
systematic and clear manner in which he entered up and tabulated
the return which passed through his hands for several months
prior to the commencement of my duties. This has materially
lightened my work of compilation; for it is his wish that I should
be responsible for the whole Report rather than it should be made
conjointly.
I have also to gratefully acknowledge the information and
assistance which Dr. Jackman and my fellow-officers so willingly
gave me when I first commenced my duties.
I am, Gentleman,
Your obedient Servant,
HENRY KENWOOD,
Medical Officer of Health.