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114
I regret that it is not in ray power to furnish a similar
return showing the results of the administration of the Acts in
this parish. But there are no statistics for the period antecedent
to 1856, and the figures relating to 1856-60 are unreliable.
The statistics for the 27 subsequent years may be relied
on, and these years may be grouped for comparison into quinquennial
periods. The death-rate, then, in the five years.
1861-65, was 20'3 per 1,000 persons living; that in 186670
being 20.2 per 1,000. In 1871 upon my appointment
a more vigorous sanitary administration was organized by
your Yestry, which soon began to produce good results, for
in the quinquennium, 1871-75, the death rate fell to 18.9,
and in the next five years, 1876-80, to 18.7. A still larger
decline characterized the quinquennium, 1881-85, the death
rate in those years being 15.0 per 1,000 only. If to these
five years we add 1886—87, it will appear that the death rate
in the last septennial period (1881-87) was 16.1 per 1,000,
In Kensington, as in London, a remarkable and eminently
satisfactory improvement in the public health has taken place
in regard to "preventible" diseases; those, namely, of the
zymotic class. This improvement has been largely due to
the legislation of 1866 ("The Sanitary Act") and 1867
"The Metropolitan Poor Act ") the Metropolis having been provided
under the last-named Act with a magnificent system of
Hospitals for Infectious Diseases, organized by the Metropolitan
Asylums Board. So far as I am able to ascertain, the
saving of life in this parish in the 17 years, 1871-87, as
shown by the reduced rate of mortality ill those years compared
with the rate in the ten years, 1861-70, is close upon
six thousand, the average rate having fallen from 20.2 per
1,000 in 1861-70, to 18.8 in 1871-80, and to 16.1 in 1881-87.
Some portion of this result may be fairly credited to the labours
of your Vestry's Sanitary Department.