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5
TO THE CHAIRMAN & MEMBERS OF THE SANITARY
COMMITTEE OF THE VESTRY OF PADDINGTON.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you my Third Annual
Report, dealing with the Vital Statistics etc., of the Parish for the
year 1896.
The present Report illustrates one of the drawbacks
associated with the use of the week as a basis for statistics.
There were 53 weeks in the last statistical year, as against an
average of 52 weeks. The totals of the various returns for 1896
are therefore somewhat unsatisfactory for comparison with those
of other years, but all rates have been corrected to 366 days—
a task of some magnitude.
The feature of this year's statistics has been the epidemic
of measles. At the present time no information of the presence
of this disease is available except such as is afforded by the death
returns. I have indicated in the Report the measures which I
think would be productive of the most effect at a minimum cost,
that is, systematic notification by the School Teachers, combined
with supervision of the infected homes and exclusion from school.
It may not be out of place here to commend to your notice the
question of what appears to me to be a dangerous practice of
overcrowding in schools. The undue aggregation of children in
the schoolroom cannot fail to afford ever facility for the spread of
disease.
Within a short time proposals to recast the legislation controlling
vaccination may be expected to demand your attention.
I have sketched out in the paragraphs dealing with the Report of
the Royal Commission, what I think may be anticipated to be