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On comparing the number of deaths during two years with the number of
houses in some of the more unhealthy streets, I find that in some there have
been more than as many deaths in the two years as there are houses ; in others
four deaths for every five houses ; in others three for every four, and in others two
for every three houses.
These facts exhibit a very high mortality, even when allowance is made for
the large numbers living in many of the houses, and the unhealthiness of many
of these places is more striking when the diseases which prove fatal and the
ages which death occurs are attentively considered.*
The Tables which are appended to this Report have been drawn up with
great care and at the expense of much labour. The materials which they comprise
have been condensed as much as possible. In Table I. are given the causes
of the deaths, and the numbers attributed to each cause, registered in the various
sub·districts and the workhouse, during the year 1857.
In Table II. are given the number of births, the total number of deaths,
and the numbers of deaths occurring at various ages in the sub·districts, as well
as several other numbers of interest.
Table III. shows the mortality and temperature of each week, and the
average of corresponding weeks in ten preceding years.
The first quarter's mortality was 1112, which is 5.1 per cent, below the
corrected average ; the second was 933, which is 9'6 below; the third was 965,
which is 11.5 per cent, below; and the fourth was 1026, which is 5.9 per cent,
below the several averages. Of the 52 weeks 38 had a mortality lower, and only
14 higher than usual.
The average temperature of 40 weeks has been above the mean of corresponding
weeks in ten preceding years; so that the average temperature of the
year has been unusually high.
From Table V. it appears that deaths from tubercular diseases bore the
game proportion to the total number of deaths in St. Pancras as in the rest of
London; and that in Somers Town and Tottenham Court sub·districts these
diseases were disproportionately fatal, whilst in Camden Town they are much
less fatal; in Kentish Town and Regent's Park rather less fatal than in London
as a whole. I believe that the prevalence of these diseases is almost proportionate
to the defective sanitary state of a district.
From diarrhoea and cholera St. Pancras had a much smaller proportion of
deaths to the gross mortality than the entire metropolis; whilst in Gray's Inn
sub·district the proportion of deaths from those diseases was higher than the
average.
Table VI. gives the number of cases of disease which came under the treatment
of the District Surgeons during the last year. It will be seen that the total
number of cases is much less than in the previous year. This is in part due to a
more searching inquiry being now made than formerly by the visiting agents into
the circumstances of those who apply for medical relief. As compared with the
year 1856, there have been of low fevers not so much as half the number, of
diarrhoea a few more, of scarlet fever more, of small·pox a few more, of
hooping cough less.
During the year no fewer than 16 persons committed suicide, 5 newly·born
children were proved to have been murdered, 22 children suffocated in bed,
16 children died from burns and scalds, 1 child was drowned in a pan.
* When such comparisons are made it is found thct where a high rate of mortality is present,
there is usually a preponderance of deaths among infants, and an undue proportion of deaths
from tubercular an'1 zyniotir diseases.