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35
NATURAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS.
As these have been referred to in previous reports, it is
only necessary to mention a few points.
General.
The district is 2478 acres in area, of which practically
200 acres are public parks. The population has reverted to
its pre-war character and only a very small number of
Belgians remain.
The existing economic conditions have not been such
as to lead to an expansion of the industrial population and
as the year progressed the number of unemployed men had
much increased.
St. John's Hospital with its 17 beds, still provides the
only general hospital accommodation in the district. In
the recently issued report of that institution it is stated
that 385 patients were admitted during the year, of which
183 were only detained for one day. The hospital has no
out-patient department in the ordinary sense of the term,
but 845 casualties and emergencies were treated in
addition to those detained.
It is impossible to speak too highly of the valuable work
done by this little hospital, but its size is obviously
inadequate for the needs of the district. I am not aware
of the existence of any other institution within the district
which provides gratuitous medical relief.
VITAL STATISTICS.
Population.
For the year 1920, the population of the district was
estimated by the Registrar-General at 36,406, the nett civil
population being estimated at 36,077
Taking the district as a whole. the density of the
population is therefore 14.5 per acre. The growth of the