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18
agents in the propagation of infectious diseases. In the
case of Mercer Street especially, I may mention that
the removal of the blind extremity of the drain, by its
extension into the Long Acre sewer, has entirely removed
the smell complained of, and there has been less
illness in the neighbouring houses since the improvement
was effected.
In Table No. 1, I have given the numbers of the
births and deaths for the last ten years: the totals of
the first five years exceed those of the five last; the
births being; less in the five last years by 129, and the
deaths by 63. There have been more deaths from smallpox
this year than in any of the ten except 1863.
Smallpox has been increasing for many months. I
am happy to say a Bill has been read a second time by
the House of Commons, the object of which is to promote
the practice of vaccination. It is the sad neglect
of vaccination that still keeps so dreadful a disease as
smallpox among our population. Whooping cough
has again this year been the most fatal of zymotic
diseases. Typhus fever has hardly exceeded the average,
but in addition to the 19 deaths recorded from this
disease, 10 of our parishioners died in the Fever Hospital.
Deaths from consumption rather exceeded the
average, while those from other diseases of the breathing
organs, show the smallest number of the whole ten
years. The annual death rate, 24. per 1000 inhabitants,
was rather below the average, and would be more
if we excluded those deaths which may be said accidentally
only to belong to our district, viz., those of
persons found drowned in St. James's Park, and that
part of the River Thames abutting on the parish; the
newly-born children found in the Green and St. James's
Parks, and the deaths of persons in our numerous
lodging-houses who come up to London for medical
advice, &c. The aggregate of these amount to more
than 1 per thousand, and our death rate would be 23
instead of; 24.