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4
HEALTH OF THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
A VERY notable improvement in the health of the District, as
evidenced by a considerable reduction in the death-rate, has taken place
since the year 1856, the period of the commencement of the operations
of the Board.
This is shewn by a comparison of the average death-rate of the past
ten years with the similar rate of the last five years.
The mean annual death-rate of the District during the ten years 1851
—60, as deduced from the total deaths registered in those years, and the
population at the recent census, was 2040 per 1000 living.* This is
inclusive of the cholera year, 1854; exclusive of that year, it was
19.49 per 1000. In the ninth annual report of the Registrar-General
the rate is stated to have been 19.74 per 1000 during the seven years
1838—44.
The mean annual death-rate during the five years 1856—60 was
18.95, which is, therefore, less than the average of the past ten years,
exolusive of the cholera year, by 00.54 per 1000; and is equal to an
annual reduction of mortality, since the year 1856, of upwards of five
deaths in every 10,000 of the population.

From an average of the past five years it is found that the ratio of
deaths from epidemic diseases to the total deaths, is invariably higher
*The death-rate of the district is unduly raised to the extent of about 1.50 per
1000 by the mortality of the Surrey County Lunatic Asylum, whose inmates are
derived from the whole county of Surrey.
† The high rate of Battersea is due to the mortality of the workhouse.