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The official mean population of 79,068 would, if the
non-parishioners who died in the Infirmary were included
in the calculation, give a mortality of 22.7 per thousand,
thus comparing favourably with the mortality of the
Metropolis at large, which was 23.5 per thousand during
the year 1878; the death-rate for the parish being
considerably lower, even under the most unfavourable
method of computation.
General Sanitary Work in the Parish during 1878.—
The sanitary work of the Parish increases year by year in
direct proportion to the additional number of inhabited
houses and augmented population.
The Inspector of Nuisances made 3,322 sanitary inspections
during the year 1878, the particulars of which
are recorded in the official register. Notices to abate
nuisances to the number of 658 were served, all of which
were complied with except 52, where second notices were
served. In 17 cases recourse was had to magisterial aid,
with the result of 9 compulsory orders being obtained,
all of which were executed.
Other details of the sanitary operations during the
year will be found in the reports for our several districts.
The flooding of the houses in large areas of this
Parish with sewage water, which some few years since
occurred but about once a year, has latterly been so
frequent, and attended by such discomfort to the inhabitants,
as well as so injurious to the general health of those
residing in the localities in question, that we feel the
subject to be one of supreme importance from a sanitary
stand-point.
That the magnitude of the evil may be made manifest,
we append a list of the houses so flooded, derived chiefly
from the reports of Mr. Pilditch, the able and energetic
surveyor for Battersea.