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REPORT TO THE VESTRY OF ROTHERHITHE
ON
THE SANITARY CONDITION AND VITAL STATISTICS
OF THE
PARISH OF ROTHERHITHE, SURREY,
FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1881,
BY
BENJ. BROWNING, M.D., S.Sc.C.Edin., L.R.C.P.Lond., M.R.C.S.E.
Fellow of the Chemical Society of London
Fellow & Member of Council of the Sanitary Institute of Great Britain.
Member of Council of the National Association for Promotion of Social Science.
Member of the Society of MedicalOfficers of Health, etc.
and
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH TO THE VESTRY.
Gentlemen,
In laying before you my customary Annual Report, this time for
1880-81, I have to draw your attention to the fact that the past year was much more
healthy than that preceding it, and that whilst the increase of population was 15 per
cent. more than in the former year, the increase of mortality was only three-per-cent.
greater. The warm genial weather we experienced throughout the greater port of the
year was probably the cause of this. Its details are given in the following—
Meteorological Summary.
The harrtmetrical mean was 29.81; the highest mean temperature in any month
was 72.9, and the lowest corresponding temperature 28.1. Rain fell on 158 days, and
the total rainfall was 29.68 inches.
January was an exceedingly cold month, with the smallest rainfall during 54
year. February showed a rainfall somewhat over the average, and was warmer than
usual. The first half of March gave warm weather, the second was chilly. April
had its proverbially variable weather. May was marked by cold weather in its first
half, and very warm days in the remainder. June was unsettled, cold and rainy, until
its last week. July was unusually wet, August was noted for mam thunderstorms,
but otherwise genial and fine. September was on the whole, rainy. October more wet
and unsettled than common, whilst November and December were nearly balanced by
wet and dry weather, and were unusually mild throughout.