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2
Parish of Saint George the Martyr, Southwark.
The third Table affords materials for comparing classes of disease with meteorological conditions.
The temperature of the quarter was considerably above the average for 86 years ; since 1771 no August
has been so hot. It will be remarked that about a fourth more than average rain fell during the quarter;
the excess entirely in September. The number of deaths as reported weekly is here shewn; it shews also
the fatal weekly progress of zymotic disease and of diarrhoea, and at the close of the quarter a great
increase of deaths from chest diseases,—no less than 39 out of 60 deaths from chest diseases being from
consumption alone.
The fourth Table shews the mortality in districts. The Boro'-road district is always the most
unhealthy, and shews the largest death rate. The Kent-road comes next. The London-road district is
as usual the least unhealthy ; its streets, bad as many of them are, are better ventilated, and it has the
great advantage of 22 acres, a fifth of its area, of well managed open grounds belonging to Bethlehem
Hospital, the Blind School, and the Magdalen Hospital. These may be considered as lungs to the
London-road district. Connected with this subject, I may be allowed to express a hope that the
contemplated Southwark Park, on this side the river, will be brought as near to our doors as possible.
In this parish are at least 4000 houses, rated under £10 per annum, and containing about 30,000 poor
people: in some neighbouring parishes are equally large numbers of the same class of people: of what
benefit to such as these, on whose account we chiefly urge the establishing such open places, will a Park
be, placed far off?—they may visit it upon a holiday, very occasionally, but not frequently for health.
The Kent-road, where the opening of the Park might be, is close to us and to 300,000 people, but a
more distant place has apparently been chosen; I trust that a strong effort will be made to secure the
nearer ; which once lost to us is always lost, and by which we shall incur expense, without reaping any
corresponding benefit. I am afraid that other than sanitary reasons have been allowed to decide the
question with the upper Board. The Kent-road tract of land is near to us, is in use as garden ground, is
low, dampand unfit for healthy houses,—in this district only have I seen ague beginning within London
the class of houses to be placed on it will be of the poorer sort, and densely inhabited ; and we, down to
the very spot, are too crowded already : but preserve it open, drain and plant it well, and nothing could
be better for the health of these over-crowded districts, or more convenient for the people w ho live in them.
In the fourth Table are recorded 682 cases of diarrhœa; there were only 77 last quarter; and
56 deaths from this disease as recorded against only 8 last quarter. This, with three deaths from cholera,
and the presence of the disease in its worst form hovering about us at no great distance, is enough to
make us reflect and set our places in order. Consumption always troubles us : there were 40 deaths from
this disease last quarter, and 39 this. Opening thoroughfares through the most densely crowded courts;
— establishing a Park near, to which children, now rarely out of doors, can be readily taken;
ventilating sewers in more and better places, so as to relieve the back pressure upon house drains;—
greater attention to cleanliness; inclosing and covering dust-heaps; and insisting that animals shall be
kept in a cleaner manner, cannot fail to make the air more pure and refreshing. The sickness and deathrate
will infallibly lessen when we have compassed these ends.
The fifth Table shews the amountof sickness among the poor week by week. I am endeavouring
to make the tabular part of these reports as perfect as possible; if I succeed, and they are continued
year after year, they will become useful not only for present purposes, but also as local records and for
comparison.
The sixth Table gives particulars of causes of death, ages and sexes. You will observe that of
276 deaths, 135 are males, and 141 females; that 158 died under five years of age-an immense