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148
food. In company with Inspector Bartlett I visited the
premises situated in Limehouse and induced the Authorities to
visit and seize the articles in question. A very large number of
tins of unsound food of various sorts were seized and destroyed,
and a prosecution instituted. In the case of condensed milk
sold in our own district a prosecution resulted in a sentence of
six months hard labour, the Magistrate commenting strongly on
the case, and we had the satisfaction of practically putting an end
(at least for the time being) to a dangerous and most objectionable
trade.
Enteric fever caused two deaths in the district, and five
deaths occurred among the cases removed for treatment, giving
a total of seven deaths and a death-rate of .11 per 1,000. For
London as a whole the death-rate is .12 per 1,000.
Whooping cough has caused 34 deaths, all occurring in the
district, giving a death-rate of .51 per 1,000, the rate for London
as a whole being .48.
One-hundred-and-forty nine deaths were due to phthisis,
giving a death-rate of 2.25 per thousand. Athough in common
with all the central districts of London our phthisis death-rate
is high, the rate for London as a whole being only 1.72 per
thousand, Clerkenwell compares favourably with other districts
having a population living under similar conditions. The
phthisis death-rate for St. Luke's is 2.74 per thousand, Holborn
3.17, Strand 3.32, and St. Giles 3.34.
The fact that phthisis is an infectious disease, due to the
growth in the human body of the bacillus tuberculosis, has
been fully demonstrated and well known for several years past.
It has not however been generally appreciated or popularly
known. An effort has been made on the part of several well-known
physicians to disseminate the information, and the movement
has become general and widespread. By the action of public bodies
and philanthropic individuals, Sanitoria for the open air treatment
of phthisis are being established in increasing numbers,