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32
Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
Parish of Saint George the Martyr, Southwark.
ANNUAL REPORT
MADE TO THE VESTRY
BY THE
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH.
FOR THE YEAR ENDING LADY-DAY, 1868.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,
I have again the honour to present you with a report of the sanitary condition of the
district, and with the number of the births and deaths that have occurred during the year,
as well as the diseases which have caused those deaths. That a considerable similarity
should exist in these reports will not occasion surprise, when you remember that the subject
always remains the same, and that the number of deaths, and the kind of diseases
only vary. Besides, the year now ended, has passed quietly and smoothly away. No
cholera or other epidemic, has happened to scare us out of our usual course, and distinguish
it from other years. Taking the experience of the past for our guide, cholera might
reasonably have been expected. Hitherto, the disease has appeared in the autumn of one
year with a few scattered cases, to burst out in all its uncontrollable fury in the following
year. Such indeed, has been the case on the Continent. That this has not been so here,
much credit, I think, is due to the Vestries of London. They did promptly and zealously
all that they could, to prevent and break up this usual train of events. "Medicine," says
a celebrated writer, "has tried her skill in vain, and in vain has the devotee offered up
his prayers; only has Hygiene effectually intervened between pestilence and its victims."
As her true disciples, you have faithfully and diligently carried out her behests, and the
result has shown reasonable cause for gratulation.
During the time which wo are now contemplating, many measures have boon passed
in Parliament, showing a desire to improve the health and comfort of, the people. There
was the Metropolitan Poor Act; Vaccination Act; Factory Acts Extension; Agricultural
Gangs Act; Traffic Regulation Act; and Hours of Labour Regulation Act. The tendency
of these measures is good; but their practicability is, I fear, remote. To carry them out
fully, will require time. Undue haste, and harsh conduct, will rather injure than help the