View report page

11
Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health—1874—5.
The Artisans' Dwellings Improvement Bill, threatens more towards the pulling down
of "Old Rookeries" than it will ever accomplish. It fails in detail what it presents as a
whole. However, we cannot tell what changes and improvements may be made in these
Bills before they become law.
And whilst laws are necessary, we must bear in mind that there are other things
equally necessary. The best laws ever thought out and promulgated by the most far-seeing
statesman may utterly fail and prove rather a curse than a blessing when forced upon an
uninformed and ignorant people. With the passing of laws there should precede or accompany
a knowledge of their necessity, and also of the benefits that will follow. "More
light" will help on progress, although we always possess more than we put into practice.
These and the like measures occasion trouble, disturbance, and what is considered most
grievous, an outlay of money. Present expenditure however trifling, will quite overshadow
any future prospect of economy. Time will aid by enlightening ignorance and removing prejudice;
whilst slowness of growth predicts strength and duration.

The births of living Children registered in the year that ended Saturday, April 3rd,
were 2167; of these 1127 were male Children, and 1040 were female Children.
The deaths registered were 1287. The deaths of males were 647 and those of females
640. The mortality has only been less in two years of the last ten, and those years were
1872-3 and 1873-4. In the year 1869-70 the deaths registered were 1740. The range of
the death rate from the highest to the lowest in those years was 453. The excess of births
over deaths in the year ended was 860. This excess was exceeded only in the last year,
and that by 117. The death rate for the District was nearly 23 in 1000 persons living, or
one death in little more than 43 persons. This speaks plainly of the improved healthy
condition of the Parish, whilst at the same time it shows how much more remains to be
done. Taking 17 deaths in the 1000 as our present standard, and which is the death rate
of two or three of the healthiest districts in England, but which themselves are capable of
improvement, then there have perished prematurely 336 men, women, and children, who
had this District been in the condition of those mentioned, would not now have been lying
in their graves.