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4
last year's Report, I represented to the Vestry that the
low mortality of the year (1858), should be considered
entirely as a kind of privileged exception in the ordinary
course of events; that our District had probably been less
exposed to sundry occult causes of disease, than others on
every side of us, including some which possessed natural
advantages superior to our own, and which in some degree had
the privilege of the supervision and authority which a reapplied
to large towns, while they also approximated in another
direction to the state of freedom of atmospheric circulation
which renders rural districts at once attractive and salubrious.
It is therefore with pleasure that I am able to announce to
you, a state of the public health equally favourable with
that of the previous year, which was at that time so good as
to be considered beyond probability of early repetition.
How far this sensible diminution of mortality is attributable
to the means which have been employed, with the
earnest purpose of effecting it, time alone will conclusively
show. Whether it be so or not, it is perfectly clear that
the major portion of the reduction has closely followed the
extensive general improvements which have been made in
the Hamlet, and in one or two instances so rapidly that it is
unreasonable to look for any other material cause.
The population is increasing fast, and in such a manner
that it is next to impossible to ascertain exactly either its rate
of increase, or its aggregate number. We may, however, be
certain of a minimum in the excess of births over the deaths,
which, last year, amounted to 1200 and upwards. The
considerable addition to the number of inhabited houses
will show us that the increase of inhabitants is not limited
to that number, and it is not easy to estimate by how much
it is increased by the influx of new residents.
The census which will be taken next April will supply
much useful information which is now deficient; it will
enable me to test the mode hitherto adopted of computing
the continual addition to our population, and either give