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6
are endeavouring to organize a plan for the partial attainment of
this end, by registering acute diseases occurring at the various Public
Institutions in their several districts.
I am not sufficiently sanguine to attribute the whole of the improved
health during the year 1856 to sanitary measures, nor do
I think we are justified in expecting for the future as great an
immunity from epidemics as we have enjoyed last year ; but at
the same time there can be no doubt that much sickness has been
averted and many lives prolonged by improvements which have
been effected.
In support of this I may give some facts supplied me by the
experience of some of the District Medical Officers, with reference
to the number of cases of sickness coming under their treatment during
last year, in comparison with previous years, in some streets in which
sanitary measures have been recently carried out.
In Britannia Street and Chad's Place, where the house drainage
has been much improved during the year, Dr. Davis reports, that
whilst in 1854 he had 64 cases of sickness, in 1855 48 cases, in 1856
he had only 38 eases. The full benefit of these improvements cannot
as yet be estimated, because the disturbance of the drains during
a portion of the year tended to counteract the advantages gained since
the completion of the new drains.
Dr. Wildbore reports, that in Southampton Court, Henry Street,
and Fitzroy Market, low fever was until recently constantly present,
but since the sanitary improvements made there he has seldom had
a case. Several other parts of his district, he also states, are notably
more healthy.
Mr. Sutherin reports, that the health of some of the worst courts
and streets in his district have very much improved during the
year, especially Scalesbury Place, Phillips Buildings, Isaacs Place,
Toms Buildings (which are now much improved, and called Equity
Buildings), and Middlesex Street.
WORKHOUSE.
The mortality in St. Pancras Workhouse in 1856 was 149 males
and 179 females, making a total of 335. So that the mortality in
1856 was 38 per cent, lower than the average of the three years
1853, 1854, and 1855. The mortality for 1856 would be considerably
raised by adding the deaths which occurred during the first quarter
of the year amongst persons sent to the Fever Hospital; but as I am
not able to make a similar correction for other years, I am obliged