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STPAN 13
FIRST MONTHLY REPORT
on the
SANITARY CONDITION OF SAINT PANCRAS, MIDDLESEX,
BY
THOMAS HILLIER, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health for the Parish of Saint Pancras.
May 1st, 1856.] [No. 1.
TO THE SANITARY COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
In estimating the sanitary condition of a place, the method usually adopted is to
ascertain the number of deaths occurring in a given period, at various ages, and
from various causes, and then to calculate the proportion which the total number of
deaths bears to the number of inhabitants, in the place; and the proportions which
the number of deaths from particular causes, and at particular ages, bears to the
total number of deaths; and then to compare these ratios with the ratios obtained
by similar methods in other places.
On this plan, no cognizance is taken of the large amount of sickness which does
not prove fatal, and unfortunately there is no system of registration pursued by
which we can obtain the number of such cases.
This information, in reference at least to that portion of the parish that receives
parochial relief, I shall be able to obtain, by the aid of the District Medical Officers;
and I hope that, with reference to the rest of the parish, by constant communication
with private practitioners, and the officers of public institutions, I shall acquire a
considerable amount of information.
In drawing conclusions from Vital Statistics, the utmost care is required; to
render them of any great value, the localities from which they are taken should as
far as possible exhibit a unity of character in all matters relating to public health;
for instance, we should not unite those parts situated on an elevation with those
placed on a low level; we should not combine dwellings that are very much crowded
together and densely populated with those that are freely supplied with air and with
but few inhabitants; nor should we take a place ia which a hospital or other public
institution is situated, and compare it with others, without taking this fact into
consideration.
For these reasons, the sub-division of the parish into such sections as were
contemplated by your Committee, who reported on this subject, is most desirable,
but at the present time is impossible; for, in order to determine the per centage of
deaths on the population of any district, it is manifest that we should first know
what is the exact population of the place. Now the only data upon which we have
to proceed are the census returns obtained in the year 1851, which refer to the
entire parish, and give no information respecting any new division which we may
adopt.
To obtain an approximation to the present population, the best plan is to consider
that the same annual rate of increase has been going on since the last census as
occurred between the last two censuses,—namely, between 1841 and 1851.
This method, although the least objectionable, may possibly give very erroneous
results, because, independently of the fluctuations occurring in the excess of births
over deaths during the period, there may have been a greater or smaller proportional
number of new residents in, and a greater or smaller proportional number of
removals from, the district.
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