View report page

38
infant life, it forms a most important test of the healthiness of particular neighbourhoods,
as they most readily suffer from external agencies, which affect in a much less
ratio the more acclimatized and hardened adults.
It cannot but be observed by any experienced person, upon conning over the tables of
mortality accompanying this report, that notwithstanding the comparative healthiness
of this district, a number of deaths might (humanly speaking) have been prevented;
that some were produced by causes which admitted of removal, whilst others occurred
in the course of other complaints, the fatality perhaps of which might have been avoided
by proper attention to sanitary regulations and sufficient nutriment.
97 deaths have occurred from zymotic disease.
69 from diseases of the organs of respiration.
22 from old age.
8 from violence.
49 from consumption and other tubercular diseases.
The number of deaths registered in the different quarters of the year varied.
101 took place in the 1st quarter.
126 ditto in the 2nd quarter.
84 ditto in the 3rd quarter.
98 ditto in the 4th quarter. Thus,
They were most numerous in the second quarter, when 30 deaths were registered from
zymotic disease.
79 deaths occurred in the Blackheath Ward, an increase of 24 over last year (1857).
115 deaths occurred in Sydenham, a decrease of 3 over last year.
139 deaths occurred in Lewisham, an increase of 31 over last year.
35 deaths occurred in Penge, an increase of 1 over last year.
33 in the Union Workhouse, a decrease of 12 over last year.
4 in the North Surrey District School (Penge), a decrease of 10 over last year.
4 in the Watermen's Asylum, Penge, an increase of 3 over last year.
It is to be remarked upon favourably that only 11 deaths have been registered from
fever during the entire year. This disease has never affected us to any amount, but the
number of deaths registered from this cause during the past year has been unusually
small.
The births which have taken place during the year in the district have numbered
691—342 males and 349 females; thus the excess of births over deaths has been 282.
The sanitary labours of myself and your Inspector of Nuisances have been constantly
carried on during the year, as you are aware, from the periodical reports and tabulated
complaints brought before you from time to time.
In many instances the result of work carried on by your order, or by communications
or notices from the Board of Works, has been very satisfactory.
As an instance of the great benefit to be derived from attention to sanitary laws, I may
name the infirmary of the North Surrey District School. Once or twice I had to
bring before you an account of the offensive and badly ventilated state of the infirmary,
which was by degrees placed in a more satisfactory condition. Since this has been done,
the mortality, which averaged for the last five or six years 16, or more than two per
cent. upon the population of the School, has been reduced to the number of four ; this
being in an establishment where the average number of children is 700, of ages varying
from 2½ to 16 years, and notwithstanding an epidemic of measles which occurred in the
spring.
Although not so readily to be pointed out, I anticipate the same results from many of
the improvements made in the district; I may instance
The Kirkdale sewer, Sydenham.
The improved sewerage of Penge and Anerley Vale.
The sewer in Montpelier Yale, Blackheath.
The sewer in the New Road, Lower Sydenham (Paxton Park).
The sewer in Wells Road, Sydenham.
The Forest Hill sewer.
The improvement in Three Tuns Passage, Blackheath; and a multitude of minor
local improvements.
Much remains to be done, however, towards completing the work begun. The inhabitants
of scores of houses situate upon the lines of sower so beneficially placed by your
order, are not receiving the benefits which they might derive from complete drainage;