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30
The infantile death-rate for the district stands as
follows:—
The deaths of infants under the age of one year in the
whole Metropolitan area equalled 26.1 per cent. of the total
deaths and 16.1 of the registered births, while in the St. Saviour
combined district the percentages are respectively 28.8 and 20.7.
The deaths of children under five years of age, including
the above, were for London equal to 42.7 per cent, of the total
deaths and 26.3 of the registered births, while in the St. Saviour
district the figures were respectively 45.0 and 32.8.
It will be within the recollection of the Board that two
years ago, owing to the abnormally high death-rate and the
general insanitary condition of Mowbray Buildings, the Sanitary
Committee determined to take proceedings against the Company
as, notwithstanding repeated intimations, nothing was done to
remedy the state of afffairs which was considered by your
Committee and their Officers to be in the highest degree insanitary.
Police-court proceedings were therefore instituted,
and the magistrate himself visited the buildings, and in the
course of the remarks he made in giving his decision he said
he was of opinion that the buildings were not kept in such
condition as to comply with the Public Health Act. He
therefore gave a verdict against the Company with five guineas
costs. Against this decision the Company appealed and the
appeal was heard before Sir Peter Edlin at the Newington
Sessions, and in all the important points the decision was
reversed. Here the matter rested until October 1896, when,
owing to complaints made to me I made an inspection of these
Buildings, accompanied by Inspector Cook. The condition of
affairs is scarcely possible to describe adequately—closets and
sinks choked, dust shoots with imperfectly fitting flaps, all these
giving off most noxious odours, which from the construction of
the buildings could not fail to find access to the dwellings.
All these conditions, together with a very high death-rate up
to that period of the year, constrained the Sanitary Committee
to believe that there was no other course open to them, unless
the Company took prompt measures to remove these nuisances,
but to take proceedings once more. At the time of wilting
(April, 1897) the proceedings are now pending, and whatever
the result may be the Committee feel that their action has
been imperatively called for.
The subjoined statistics will give some idea as to the
sanitary condition of these dwellings:—