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eluded in the entire number. The Registrar-General reports 3
deaths of children in this Hospital during the year, viz.: 2 males
and 1 female.
The births in this Hospital belonging to St. Giles District were
27, of which number 5 were parishioners of St. George Bloomsbury;
16 belonged to the Sub-District of St. Giles South, and 6 to St.
Giles North; the remainder (140) were parishioners of outside
parishes. Allowance is made for these in the general summary of
births. (Vide Tables I. and II.)
56. The Infants' Home.—I regret that I am unable to give
such a report of the mortality of this Institution as can be considered
satisfactory in a scientific point of view, owing to the
difficulty of fixing the mortality occurring in the Home and outside
of it, in relation to the whole number of children detained in the
Home and passing through it. The number of infants usually in
the house is, I am informed, about a dozen; and most of those who
are received are, after a time, sent to the suburbs to be nursed.
The deaths occuring in the Home in 1874 were 31, which is a
much larger number than was reported to me last year. I find that,
in every instance, the child that died was registered as the offspring
of a domestic servant. The cause of death is returned in the large
majority of cases as "debility" with "diarrhoea," and "tabes
mesenterica": 5 as "syphilis." The age of the youngest child at
death was 3 weeks, and of the eldest 1 year; and of the entire
number 17 were registered at 3 months old or under.
57. This summary shows the importance of a proper registration
and inspection of all institutions of this nature. Every woman, too,
who takes in a child to nurse should be registered. This will appear
the more important if we regard the class of women who make an
especial use of this Institution. The conductors of this particular
Home are desirous, I believe, of doing their best to improve the
health, and increase the chances of life of the waifs and strays who
are confided to their care; but it is nevertheless very obvious that
any extension of this system might be attended with much evil that
society would deprecate.
The Sanitary Work of the Year.
58. The amount of work done during the year by the Inspectors
is only partially shown in the following Table, owing to the dismissal
of Inspector Harnack, and the failure of his return. A
larger number of summonses was served this year than in previous
years, and it is hoped that a salutary effect has been produced by the
convictions that have been obtained against negligent owners. It is
certain that less difficulty has been experienced of late in maintaining
the regulations of your Board in those streets and courts where
the owners were most frequently summoned in the earlier part of the
year. In many other cases, too, where the orders of the Board used
to be met with indifference or obstinate opposition, a more compliant
temper has been evinced.