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4
Health of the District.
The death rate is lower than it has been for 10 years,
the reason being the freedom from fatal chest complaints
owing to the singularly mild weather. The average
mortality from chest complaints is 3.7 per thousand
of the population, or nearly 4 per thousand during
January, but during the past five weeks it has only
been 2 per thousand. At the same time fatal infectious
diseases have been low, the death rate from the zymotic
class being nearly 1 per thousand below the average.
Prosecutions under the Public Health (London) Act.
Notices were served on the owners of 8, Charlton Street,
to re drain the premises. After considerable delay a
summons was issued against the supposed owner, who,
however, was able to prove that he was wrongly designated
as owner. A new summons was taken out, and on the
defendants agreeing to make a new connection to the
sewer, to ventilate the drain, and to provide an interceptor,
the summons was withdrawn. The works have since been
executed. A kitchen at 130, Great Titchfield Street, was
found to be illegally occupied, and an order obtained from
the Magistrate for the tenants to vacate in three weeks.
The time was up on January 24th, and again adjourned to
await completion of ejectment proceedings taken by
defendant against tenant.
Hospital Accommodation for Measles.
There is a proposal to provide hospital accommodation
for cases of measles. The cases of measles are so numerous
in an epidemic, and many of the cases so slight, that it
would neither be wise nor very practical to attempt to deal
with measles in the same way as with cases of scarlet fever,
of which latter cases something like 30 per cent. are treated
in the Asylums Board Hospitals. At the same time it
must be conceded that there are severe attacks occurring
in tenements in which the little patient, owing to
unfortunate surroundings, has small chance of recovery.
Therefore, there ought to be some moderate provision
made for the purpose of taking a few selected cases.