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during the year, as well as the number of resulting deaths,
will be easily ascertained by a reference to Table V. in
the Appendix. The per centage of deaths to the cases
treated will be found to be by no means large, the proportion
they bear to each other being 57 deaths to 2,547
cases.
Violent Deaths—Inquests.—The deaths due to violence
and to other causes than actual disease, were greatly less
than they were in 1866. There were 36 inquests held
during the year, and verdicts were returned as follows :—
Excessive drinking 2 ; accidents from falls, or being crushed
or run over by engines, street carriages, &c., 7 accidentally
drowned 5 ; burns and scalds 3 ; suicides 2 ; manslaughter
1 ; sudden, though natural deaths from disease
11 ; and, found dead, no evidence of cause of death 5.
Sanitation during the Year.—The Table VI. in the
Appendix, indicates much accomplished sanitary work—
work which it is believed will show results, both now and
in the future, highly satisfactory to the inhabitants generally.
The employment of an extra inspector during the
year has been of essential service in effecting the removal
of a great number of nuisances, but, perhaps, the most
satisfactory item in the table is that which refers to the
construction of 26,068 feet of new sewerage. Among ihe
important duties of the inspector of nuisances, one has
been most satisfactorily fulfilled by the seizure of a quantity
of fish (159 lbs.), proved to be unfit for human consumption,
besides preventing the sale of other unwholesome
food.
It was hardly to be expected that the large amount of
sanitation referred to in the table should be accomplished
without some few appeals being made to magisterial
authority; accordingly, we find that 7 cases of complaint
were investigated at the District Police Court, and that 5
compulsory orders were there obtained. It is satisfactory,
however, to state that, apart from producing the requisite
evidence to secure these orders, it was not necessary to
resort to any very unpleasant means of enforcing the
qqtyip
WM. CONNOR,
Medical Officer of Health of the Sub-district, of Battersea.