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45
WEST BATTERSEA.
The excellent condition of health which has prevailed
in this sub-district for years past has been more than
maintained during the year 1886 now under report, for
taking the mortality as a whole, there is a decrease of
47 as compared with 1885. Further, on comparing the
zymotic mortality, which represents the sanitary condition
under which we live, there is a decrease of 68 on
that year, and a death rate from this class of disease,
which is the lowest that has prevailed for the past ten
years. I believe it is the constant supervision over all
sanitary matters, the regular house to house inspection
always going on, the immediate attention given to all
complaints, and the speedy removal of infectious sick
persons to hospital, which conduces very materially to
the lowness of the mortality from infectious disease.
The ambulance system of the Asylums Board may be
said to be as perfect as it well can, for not more than
two or three hours elapse after notice is sent before the
ambulance, with every comfort, is at the patient's door.
It would much facilitate removal, if all medical men
were empowered to fill in the necessary certificates, and
in the absence of compulsory notification of infectious
disease, to be requested to communicate the fact to the
sanitary authorities.
That there has been a great diminution in infectious
cases is shown by the number of houses disinfected as
compared with last year, when it was 169; this year it
is 54. This is satisfactory, as it is against this class of
disease that sanitarians are constantly at work.
Population. The population estimated on the basis proposed
by the Registrar-General for the middle of the