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and the notification of infectious diseases and provision of means for
isolation, must have a good effect on the health of the District, and
it is not altogether surprising the death rate should be so low. It
is a matter for congratulation to your Council that your endeavours
to improve the sanitary welfare of the District should be crowned
with success thus far.
In regard to one portion of the District—that known as the
Avenue—unfortunately statistics show that in this neighbourhood
on account of the density of population, sickness and mortality
appear in proportion of about three times as much as in any other
portion of District; it is here that care should be exercised in
inspection of houses, the remedying of any sanitary defects,
increased attention to scavenging, flushing of sewers, examination
and relaying of old sewers where necessary, and the putting in force of
the Bye-Laws relating to houses let in lodgings, already adopted
by you; because in this locality the houses are chiefly occupied by
the labouring classes and are let out in rooms; and your Surveyor
might be consulted as to the advantages of substituting the present
form of ventilation of sewers for the system of high ventilating
shafts above the windows of the houses; these methods should
improve this portion of District. I should like to see formed some
kind of Sanitary Association of ladies who would voluntarily undertake
to visit the houses in this locality, and by various ways
encourage the inhabitants in appreciating sanitary improvements.
The infantile mortality, or deaths of infants under 1 year of
age, was for the year 18, the third lowest number for a period of
13 years; the rate of infantile mortality was 84 per 1,000 births;
this rate is very low, and it has been considered to be a test of the
sanitary state of a District Diarrhoea was absent from the District,
in spite of the hot and dry weather.
Cancer and Consumption seem to claim the same number of
deaths each year.
Finally my report ends with my sincere acknowledgment of
the close attention your Council has paid to all matters I have
brought to your notice in my reports during the past year; the
amount of work such reports have entailed are known to yourselves
and I trust at some future time the records of such on the
minutes of your Council may be referred to with some satisfaction
to your Council; for myself, the reception and consideration of
them encourages me and stimulates my energies to renewed exertion.
And again thanking the Officials of the Council for the
kindly help I have received,
I have to subscribe myself,
Your Obedient Servant,
HUGH STOTT.