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40
WEST BATTERSEA.
Taking a review of the past year we may look back with
some amount of satisfaction on the condition of health enjoyed
by the inhabitants of this Sub-district as will be seen
by reference to the mortality tables and the nature of the
causes of death—it is true the Zymotic total is slightly larger
than that of the previous year but when we see that more
than two-thirds of the deaths occurred in young children
from infantile Diarrhœa Whooping Cough, &c., it is not so
serious as it at first glance appears; while as to the adult
part of the population over 20 years of age there were but 7
cases of Typhoid and other Fevers, a wonderfully small
number in such a large crowded and poor population as
exists in this Sub-district. Indeed, when we think of
a population of 00,000 persons principally of the working
classes, with two or more families in most of the houses,
the enormous amount of sewers in connection with them it is
simply wonderful and speaks volumes for the way in which
the Board and its Officers carry out those Sanitary duties
which tend so much to the welfare, happiness and health of
the community.
The year under report owing to the alarm caused by the
expected visitation of Cholera has been marked by a very
large amount of increased work. Special Inspectors were
engaged to make house to house visitation throughout this
Sub-district—duties which were carried out in as perfect a
manner as possible—and discovered some thousands of defects:
comprising defective drains, dirty closets, rooms,
cisterns, &c., all of which were speedily remedied under
notice, and it is gratifying to observe that in only 8 instances
had the magistrate to be appealed to to compel compliance.
One cannot speak too highly of the importance of this house
to house work, bringing to light as it does many sanitary