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13
Proceedings that have been carried into effect by the
Vestry, for the removal of Nuisances, and the improvement
of the Sanitary condition of the Parish.
The Medical Officer of Health Reforts as follows:—
During the year ending on the last day of 1864, the registered
deaths in Shoreditch amounted to 3710. This year includes the mortality
for 53 weeks, a circumstance which accounts to some extent for
the apparent increase.
Assuming the population to have increased at the rate observed
during the ten years 1851-1861, namely: 1.7 per cent. annually, we
have a gross population for 1864 of 135433. This is an increase of
2264 upon the year 1863. The excess of births over deaths as registered,
which always falls short of the actual excess, inasmuch, as all the
births are not registered, is 1490. A portion of the increase of population
is therefore apparent only, or must be accounted for by an excess
of immigration over emigration.
In order to estimate the rate of mortality during 1864, we are,
considering the experience of former years, justified in taking the
population at 135433. The deaths are 3710 for 53 weeks, or 3620 for 52
weeks. As 52 weeks give 364 days, only one day short of an entire year,
it will be more nearly correct to take the latter number as representing the
mortality. This gives one death for every 37½ persons living; or 2.67 per
centum. Comparing this with the metropolis at large, we find in all
London 77723 deaths took place during the same 364 days, in a population
of 2,948,963, which gives a death-rate of 2.645 per centum, a
rate with which that of Shoreditch is nearly identical. On further
comparing the death-rate of Shoreditch with that of the Eastern
Districts of London of which it forms part, we find in these districts a
general death-rate of 2.89 per cent, shewing that Shoreditch maintained
a rather more favourable position in the health-scale than the mean of its
associated parishes. A deduction must further be made for St. Lukes'