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Now that the epidemic ha8 passed away, we who have lived through
it and seen its ravages, should profit by the experience of tho past, and keep
the District in such a condition as, in the event of another outbreak, will
shew that at least all the means in our power have been taken to avert
the calamity.
POPULATION.
The population of Bethnal Green is now 116,574, and is still on the
increase, though not in the same ratio as heretofore. Building operations
are stopped, for the best of reasons, that there is no ground to build
upon; and our house room being still encroached upon by the Great
Eastern Railway Company, over-crowding is as rife as ever. The Public
Health Act, 1866, provides for cases of this nature, in giving to the
Vestry the power of adopting lodging house regulations. These have
been drawn up, and have received the sanction of the Secretary of State,
but have not yet been put in force ; consequently, at present, any proceedings
are taken under the Sanitary Act, 1855.
The average Deaths for the whole of London in 1865 were 24-5 per
1000, or 1 person died of every 30'7 living. For Bethnal Green it was
24 per 1000, or 1 person died of every 41 '5 living—1 death in 4-5 being
from Zymotic Disease.
In 1866 the average for the whole of London was 26-4 per 1000, or 1
person died of every 37-9 living. For Bethnal Green there were 32-9 per
1000, or 1 person died of every 30'4 living—1 death in 2-8 being from
Zymotic Disease. Although our death rate was higher during the past
year than the average for the whole of London, it was less than the average
for the East Districts combined, which was 33-9 per 1000.
The Births registered in Bethnal Green for 1866 were—Boys, 2517 ;
Girls, 2308—total, 4825 ; being 1 birth to every 24-1 persons living in
1866, against 1 in 23-8 persons living in 1865. For the whole of London
the rate was in 1866, 1 birth to every 28'1 persons living; for 1865 it
was 1 to every 28 persons; so that for 1864, '65, and '66, the average
birth rate for the whole of London has been nearly the same.
PAUPER ILLNESS.
I am sorry to say that the system of making me acquainted, through
the Relieving Officers, with the outbreak of contagious or infectious
disease amongst the pauper population, has fallen into disuse, for I am
convinced that, if promptly carried out, it would tend to lessen materially
the spread of such disease.