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21
Disinfection. The Chamber erected by Messrs. Fraser, has been in active
operation during the year, the persons for whose benefit it was chiefly intended, at
first showed some repugnance to the presence of the Truck at the door of their
houses,and a disinclination to allow their beds and clothing to be exposed to such a high
temperature as was necessary; much of this feeling of opposition was soon allayed, and
everything needful was done without having recourse to the power of the law.
Some claims were made for alleged damage to articles, and in three cases,
although the complaints did not appear well founded, it was considered expedient to
satisfy the complainants to the amount of two pounds twelve shillings and six-pence,
and this sum constitutes all the expense incurred by the Vestry, for the destruction of
Bedding, Clothing, &c. during the year; the disinfection of rooms was not neglected,
and it appeavs that in the course of the year one hundred and fourteen trucks of
articles were placed in the chamber, and one hundred and sixteen rooms
disinfected.
The Census. In my former annual report to you, I did not make any allusion
to the census which bad taken place on the night of April 1st, 1871, because my
statement only referred to matters which had occured between the 1st of April, 1870,
and 31st March, 1871; there was moreover a conviction in my mind that the number
of the inhabitants of this Parish had been underrated, and time was required to
explain the discrepancy.
The number returned for the fixed population was 25,873, compared with 22,957
in 1861, showing an increase of 2,916, an addition was subsequently made of persons
forming the floating population, consisting of seamen and others to the number of
1,211, and the enumerators ultimately computed that this Parish contained twentyseven
thousand and eighty-four souls.
It must be borne in mind that the floating population is variable as regards the
seamen who enter the Surrey Commercial Docks, in April there are very few Ships
there, but from May to November the number is considerable; so that throughout the
year it is estimated that about twenty-five thousand seamen go in and out of the
Docks in their respective ships; the floating class has hitherto been computed as
forming two-thousand, and I think we shall be not far from correct, if we consider
the inhabitants of Rotherhithe to amount to twenty-eight thousand, on which number
I shall base my calculation of the rate of mortality and births.
Births, Nine hundred and three births were registered, four hundred and fiftythree
Males, and four hundred and fifty Females ; in the former year nine hundred