View report page

1.03 above the average figure; and last of all comes St. Nicholas,
with the enormous figure of 22.01 per 1,000, which is 7.23 per
1,000 more than the Borough average, or roughly, a Death Rate
50 per cent, greater than that which prevailed throughout the
whole area. This excessive Death Rate in the St. Nicholas Parish
cannot now be explained on the score of the excessive number
of young children and old persons, for any excess due to these
causes has been duly deducted ; it will be seen that the crude
Death Rate of 23.59 per 1,000 has been reduced to one of 22.01
per 1,000 on this very account, and therefore, one must look
elsewhere for the secret for this large waste of life.
The house-to-house inspection of this Ward has now been
completed, and as will be seen from the figures published later on
giving the number of insanitary conditions per house as compared
with other districts, such defects are in excess, and the defect.-,
are frequently found to be those chiefly occasioned by the rough
usage to which the property is subjected at the hands, or very
frequently feet, of those occupying the houses.
It is very difficult to actually calculate the density of the
population per acre in any small area, but there is no doubt that
in St. Nicholas the density of the population upon the actual area
occupied by dwelling houses is very great indeed, and although
this is undoubtedly a considerable factor in the case, yet, I hardly
think this to be a sufficient reason to account for such an
enormous number of deaths, and can only conclude that it is
greatly due to the gross carelessness and ignorance of the bulk
of the people in respect to the most elementary principles of
health. Here undoubtedly seems to be a very fitting field for the
employment of a suitable female, who could endeavour to educate