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52
acting under his direction and supervision, a list or lists of
dwelling houses the early inspection of which is, in the
opinion of the Medical Officer of Health, desirable.
It is purposed early every year to draw up a list of houses
which have shown an excessive mortality and a high infantile
mortality in the previous year. To this list would be added, from
time to time, other streets; for example, those which show an
excessive incidence of infectious disease. Last year a report
was made to the July Health Committee giving the streets in
which the mortality was excessive. A table is prepared showing
the streets which had a persistently high death rate, and the
average death rate in each street during the four years 1906,
1907, 1908 and 1909. The death rate in these streets in 1910 is
also given.
This period was taken for two reasons. Prior to 1905, the
deaths of residents which occurred in Public Institutions outside
the district were not included in the death returns. The " outside
" deaths profoundly affect the death rate of some localities.
For instance, out of the 33 deaths which belonged to Shaftesbury
Road, only 20 occurred in the district. The remaining 13
occurred in Public Institutions outside the district.
In 1906, the district was subdivided into four wards, and
the boundaries of the wards remained unaltered until the end of
1909. The death rates of the several wards in the four years
can thus be compared. A table is inserted showing the deathrate
in the whole district and in each ward for the four years
1906, 1907, 1908 and 1909.
Although the figures have not previously been worked out
as rates per 1000 inhabitants, it is interesting to note that, with
few exceptions, all the premises included in the table have
received particular attention, and these streets had already been
singled out, and a house-to-house inspection made in them. In
those which had recently been inspected, the death-rate is based