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8 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
As in the calculation of the general death.rate, so with the zymotic death.rate, the
deaths of non-parishioners occurring within the district have been excluded; on the
other hand, the deaths of parishioners in public institutions outside the parish have
been included. Unless a proper distribution of these deaths be made, especially of
those from zymotic diseases, no really trustworthy data can be secured upon which to
calculate the rates of mortality.
In the forty.three sanitary areas of the metropolis the zymotic death.rates ranged
from 1.3 in St. George's, Hanover Square, 1.4 in London City, 1.8 in Hampstead and in
Lee, 2.1 in Westminster; and the highest, 3.9 in Woolwich, Chelsea, and Limehouse,
4.2 in Bethnal Green, 4.3 in Shoreditch, and 4.8 in St. Olave, Southwark.
Proposed Reception House.
The importance of a Reception House for the housing of those who have been
exposed to the risks of infection can hardly be over.estimated in any well considered
scheme of disease prevention for your parish. The main value lies in affording
temporary shelter to such persons while disinfection is being carried out in their
houses. Ever since my tenure of office as your Medical Officer of Health, I have urged
the necessity of such a provision. In the year 1895 your Vestry formally decided to
erect such a building, and acquired for the purpose an excellent site adjoining the
Stone Yard. In the following year, 1896, the one under report, a further important
step was taken in the shape of an Inquiry by the Local Government Board as to the
desirability of the Vestry obtaining the funds necessary for the Proposed Reception
House by a loan from the London County Council. After hearing evidence on both
sides of the case, the Inspector reported to the Local Government Board, which
shortly afterwards sanctioned the proposed loan.