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fatal, but it must be recollected that diseasees of this class present
great and often inexplicable variations, and that their
accidental prevalence last year may be counterbalanced by comparative
immunity from them in years to come. And I may
here mention, that according to the Registrar General's annual
return, it appears that from a combination of no very distinctly
defined causes, the deaths in London generally during the year
1858, were more numerous than those which occurred during
each of the two or three years immediately preceding. Now if
their due weight be given to the various considerations enumerated
above, and, if further it be borne in mind that fever-deaths
were both absolutely and relatively few, it will become manifest
that the general health of the parish was little, if at all, inferior
to that enjoyed during the two directly antecedent and remarkably
healthy years. That our mortality as compared with that
of other parts of London was not excessive is shewn by table 6,
from which it will be seen that by making adequate allowance
for increase of population, our per centage of deaths was less than
that presented by London as a whole, or than that presented by
either its eastern, central, or southern groups of districts taken
separately. I am, of course, unable to give the per centage quite
accurately, since its ascertainment depends on a correct knowledge
of the number of inhabitants, a knowledge which is at present
only approximativey attainable. But if our population has
increased only at the same rate as that of the whole of the
southern districts collectively increased between 1841 and 1851,
it amounted last year to about 62,646, and the per centage of
mortality was 2.3. If, on the other hand, our numbers multiplied
as rapidly as they actually did multiply in this parish
during the same decennial period, they reached 65,167 and the
mortuary per-centage dwindles consequently to 2.2.
One disease amongst those enumerated as furnishing materials
for our mortuary tables, is a recent claimant for admission into