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15
In discussing these remarkable figures it must be remembered
the figures cover but a short period, the reason
for taking such a small period being that the returns for former
years have in the confusion of removing to the present offices
been mislaid. If a longer period had been taken it may be
that Wharncliffe Gardens would not have had so low, the
Horace Street Buildings so high, a rate.
It must also be freely granted that Wharncliffe Gardens
population is a selected one, the old and the weakly obviously
do not exist there, and that the precise age constitution of
the two populations is unknown.
More than any other circumstance the "age constitution
" influences death-rates.
If a thousand individuals are taken, mainly composed of
young persons from 10 to 15 years of age, a death-rate of
under 4 per thousand would be quite normal.
If on the other hand the thousand consisted of persons
of 65 and above, a death rate of 100 to 200 per thousand
would not require comment.
Still, making every allowance for a probable favourable
age constitution there is little doubt that Wharncliffe Gardens
has enjoyed an exceptional freedom from fatal disease, more
particularly, the rate for tubercular maladies is extremely low.
It will be observed that on the other hand the Gardens have
by no means been immune from infectious diseases, the rate
being higher for zymotic sickness than that of the sub-district
in which the buildings are situated.
The Horace Street group of dwellings not only shows a
higher death-rate than the sub-district, but a much higher
zymotic sickness rate, and the figures for tuberculosis are high,
tubercular affections accounting for about one-third of the
total mortality.
PRACTICAL SANITARY WORK, 1903.
A tabular statement is given of the work of each of the
Sanitary Inspectors at pages 34-35. Complaints of sanitary
defects were received and promptly attended to in 869 cases.
More than half the time of the Inspectors is taken up with
the supervision of new, or the investigation of defective drains.
An objection was raised by the County Council to the employment
of Inspectors in the supervision of new drainage
works, a duty which they have performed for many years,
and for which their training and experience well qualifies them
to fulfil, the ground of the objection was that the duties were
not specifically mentioned in the Local Government Order,