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any Consumption. Taking the Parish as the whole, the fatality of phthisis was less than in
the Metropolis at large, but taking the Sub-districts separately, the West contrasts unfavourably,
both with the East Sub-district, and with the whole of London. I do not propose to
discuss the causes of this difference in the present report; but will content myself with
calling your attention again to the Table 3, from which it appears that the tubercular deaths
in Ward 4 alone, greatly exceeded the average for the Parish ; a less excess being observed
in Ward 3. In Wards 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, the per centage of tubercular deaths was more or less
below that of the whole parish, and in all but Ward 6, materially below that of the whole
Metropolis. Barnsbury Ward was in this respect situated most satisfactorily, the tubercular
deaths forming only 13 per cent. of the deaths from all causes. St. Peter's and Canonbury
stood next in rank, the per centage in the former being 15 08, in the latter 15-83. The
street lists I have drawn up seem to confirm the conclusion, which this table appears to suggest,
that the localities of excessivezymotic mortality (compare Wards 4 and 8), are not necessarily
those for which tubercular disease shows the highest preference.
c. Diseases of the Organs of Respiration.
22. These were chiefly inflammatory, and the deaths included are only those in which the
disease is registered as the primary affection from which the individual suffered. They
occasioned 392 deaths, or 17 0 per cent. of the deaths from all causes. In the Metropolis
generally, the mortality from this class formed 16.6 per cent. of the whole. In the West Subdistrict
of Islington, the per centage was 17.8, in the East 16.2. In the summer quarter of
the year, the deaths from this class of disease were of course very few; in the remaining quarter,
(Table 2), there was little variation, the number which occurred in the first and last quarters
being precisely the same. The influence of meteorological conditions upon the deaths from
this class is exhibited in the Diagram.
SANITARY IMPROVEMENTS EFFECTED DURING THE YEAR.
23. The amount of sanitary improvements accomplished during the year must be regarded
with satisfaction, and especially, as the larger part of it has been effected at private expense,
and with little delay, on the necessity for it being pointed out to the owners of the property
complained of. In a great number of instances, where a death from disease of the Zymotic
class, or a severe illness of the same character, has been ascertained to have occurred, the
Inspectors, under my direction, have made a systematic inquiry upon the spot, as to the
existence of any of those local causes which I have recently alluded to, and which experience
assures us are operative in such cases. Of the 1431 inspections made during the year, 456
were made under these circumstances, and the results of the inquiry, with my recommendation
thereon, submitted for the orders of your Sanitary Committee. The remaining house
inspections referred to localities which were ascertained to be the favourite haunts of Fever
and Epidemic disease. The improvements effected in respect of the dwellings have been
mentioned in my Quarterly Reports. They embrace altogether the cleansing and whitewashing
of 276 dirty houses, the filling up and abandonment of 760 cesspools, the amendment
by trapping, cleansing and communicating with drains, of 816 privies—the laying on of
water to 812 privies which were deficient in this respect, the construction or enclosure of
657 receptacles for dust and other refuse, the ventilation, principally by the introduction of
air-bricks, of 21 houses, and the supply of water cisterns to the inhabitants of two courts,
who were previously dependent upon a very temporary flow from a stand-pipe, and who
were under the necessity of storing what little water they were fortunate enough to collect
in the close rooms they were compelled to occupy.
24. In several instances I have had occasion to recommend the construction of Sewers,
where the want of such an outlet has been an obstacle to some necessary house-drainage.
The work of this kind, which has been accomplished, has been already reported to you by
your Surveyor, I look forward to the time when the determination of the Government