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of insured persons. On the advice of the Public Health Committee, the Council
declined both suggestions.
POOR LAW INSTITUTIONS.
The Institution belonging to the Edmonton Board of Guardians, which
is in Fore Street, receives a certain proportion of its inmates from this district,
and such proportion is treated as part of our population for statistical purposes.
The large bulk of the inmates, however, is derived from Tottenham, Southgate,
Wood Green, Hornsev, Enfield, Cheshunt (Herts.), and Waltham Abbey (Essex),
which places make up the large Poor Law Union of Edmonton, and these inmates,
of course, do not enter into our vital statistics. Mr. B. Andrews is the master.
In March, 1918, the estimated population of Edmonton Union was 498,923;
rateable value £2,567,082. Amongst a total of forty Guardians, Edmonton
district proper has only four representatives.
Dr. Gregorson is acting as Medical Superintendent at the old Infirmary.
Since October, 1915, large portions of the Workhouse and old Infirmary have been
given over to the military. Mental and maternity cases are taken in as before,
but only acute or serious cases of illness or accident, as there are only about
350 beds now for sick paupers. Convalescents are evacuated to Enfield or
Margate. The casual wards are still open.
The New Infirmary and Nurses' Home became a military hospital in April,
1915; for particulars of its work, see "The Foreword."
Millfield House, formerly the Strand Union School, and later a refug
for Belgians, has been occupied since January, 1917, by the Metropolitan
Asylums Board as a male epileptic colony. It accommodates 243 patients.
These people are excluded from our Vital Statistics. Dr. Bebb is the visiting
Medical Officer, and Mrs. S. Pallin is the Matron.
VITAL STATISTICS.
My statistics refer to 52 weeks ending on December 28th, 1918. I am much
indebted to Mr. W. H. Miller, our Registrar of births and deaths, for information
promptly afforded, whenever asked for.
The Registrar-General estimates our civil population at 63,761 for deathrate
and 71,442 for birth-rate, whereas I estimate our nett civil population at
74,330, and the gross civil population (including institutions) at 74,914, plus
an average military population of 3,596. My figures are more likely to be
in accordance with the facts, as there are few, if any, houses vacant in Edmonton,
and those occupied are more overcrowded than ever. Besides, many
Belgians (formerly in the Refuge) have become householders or lodgers, and
thus absorbed into the general body of ratepayers. The exit of men from His
Majesty's Services has been quite compensated by the influx of munition workers.
T estimate the nett population at the middle of 1918 as 74,330 persons,
including 98 Edmonton people in Edmonton Workhouse and Old Infirmary.