on every occasion, when any local uncleanliness or nuisance may come within their knowledge. MORTALITY. The various rates of mortality and the tables founded upon them are of the greatest interest to the professional man and to all classes. The lowest death rate hitherto attained in this country for a considerable population, during a term of seven years, has been fourteen in a thousand per annum; the highest rate is considerably more than double this amount; the difference between the two arising from superior sanitary conditions on the one hand, over inferior, and neglect of sanitary improvement on the other. The inquiries into the state of districts before and after improvement, have distinctly shown that increased facilities for the removal of refuse, in and about the habitations of the poor, have been rapidly followed by a marked improvement in the health, and by a reduction in the rate of mortality of the district. An instance of this kind was observed in Manchester, by ascertaining the amount of deaths in twenty streets, before and after their improvement, by which it was ascertained that the deaths immediately subsequent to the drainage and paving of the streets, were diminished more than 20 per annum out of every 110. This mode of exhibiting the immediate effects of structural improvement has been confirmed in other instances, and is cited in verification of the same results, obtained by estimating the mortality in improved and unimproved districts of a like population. This, with Mr. Simon's declaration, that the mortality of the city has de creased four per cent. per annum, after the late remedial measures, is quite sufficient to prove the utility, in fact, the imperative necessity of public legislative hygiène. During the attacks of cholera, the good effects of drainage and other improvements were most admirably proved in the various London districts. At the period of the epidemic of 1849, the best conditioned sub-district was the north-west of the City of London Union; and (among those on the same level) the worst was the sub-district of Cripplegate, which at that time was in a very unsatisfactory state, abounding with open cesspools and their consequences. In the former of these sub-districts the cholera mortality per 10,000 was 19, in the latter 47; and it is easy to show that additional sanitary errors soon develope a larger fatality. Not far from the city boundary, at the same level with these two subdistricts, in the Hackney-road division of Bethnal Green, it rose to 110; this large mortality being principally confined to a very small portion of the district, wherein (the local registrar reports), sewers were almost entirely absent; houses were contaminated with the filth of years; streets were remaining for days uncleansed from accumulating dirt, and all waste water, (including animal secretions,) were uniformly thrown into the public way. From a report of the evidence taken before the committee on the Public Health and Nuisances' Removal Amendment Bill, I shall extract some most important observations made by Dr. Wm. Farr, upon the sanitary condition of many of the districts and towns of England. In the appendix there is a report, drawn up in a tabular form, MORTALITY OF REGISTRATION DISTRICTS. 45 showing the average annual mortality of 624 districts of England and Wales, computed upon an average of the ten years, 1841-50. As this is of such great interest and importance, I shall tranfer it, as it stands, to my pages. Three Registration Districts, in which the Mortality was at the rate of 15 in 1000. Eastbourne. Rothbury. Glendale. Fourteen Districts:-Annual Mortality, 16 in 1000. Battle. Reigate. Cuckfield. Hambledon. Gainsborough. Steyning. Haltwhistle. Holsworthy. Bootle. Easthampstead. Okehampton. Builth. Christchurch. Garstang. Forty-seven Districts:-Annual Mortality, 17 in 1000. Lewisham (Lon- New Forest. Launceston. |