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is considered the ordinary limit of human life, against an average
of 103 for 23 years. If, therefore, the large mortality of
children under 1 year is to be considered an indication of retrogression,
which I do not think it is, at any rate the increased
longevity of so considerable a proportion of the population may
fairly be deemed to balance it.
The number of deaths in the City of London Union and the
German Hospital is about equal to the proportion of deaths in all
the Metropolitan Hospitals to the population of all London.
It will not, therefore, be necessary to make any alteration in the
number of deaths for Hackney. Now calculating the population
to have been 135,024 in the middle of the year and the total
deaths for the year 2,594, we have a death-rate for the year equal
to 192 per 10,000 population, against 224 for all London. This
is a very satisfactory return, as the rate is one of the smallest
which has occurred since the passing of the Metropolis Local
Management Act. The rate of births to deaths, as before stated,
was very high, viz., 171 births to each 100 deaths; and the
proportion of births to total population, viz., 1 in each 30 inhabitants,
is equally satisfactory. As previously mentioned, the
deaths in autumn and early winter were unusually high, but not
in greater proportion than those for all London, as the annual
Metropolitan death-rate was no less than 253 per 10,000
inhabitants during the three months ending December 31st.
I have attended 30 meetings of the Sanitary Committee,
13 of the View Committee, and 6 of other Suit-Committees,
making a total of 49 Sanitary Committee meetings in the year.
Many very important matters were discussed at these meetings
and reports brought up to the Board, amongst which I may
mention—(1) on the arrangements for the removal of house
refuse, dust, ashes, &c.; (2) on the duties of the Sanitary Staff;
(3) on the Regulations under the New Water Act; (4) on the
Approaches to the Small-Pox Hospital; (5) on the duties and
emoluments of the Analyst.