KEN 94 TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH (EXTRACT FROM THE VESTRY REPÒRT FOR MARCH, 1867 - MARCH, 1868 ) . 30 REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. Vestry Hall, Kensington, Sanitary Department, 1868. Gentlemen, I am happy to state that since your appointment of two additional Inspectors but few complaints have been reported at the Vestry Hall respecting nuisances injurious to health. Your Sanitary Inspectors have been rcgnlarly employed in visiting the houses of the poor, firstly, with regard to the cleanliness of their habitations; secondly, with regard to the ventilation of the rooms, and overcrowding; thirdly, with regard to the condition of cisterns; and fourthly, with regard to the constant supply of water to the closets, the removal of refuse from the ashpits, the trapping of drains, and the abolition of cespools. The mean illuminating power of the so-called cannel gas has been equal to rather more than twenty-one sperm candles (twenty being the number required by Act of Parliament); the pressure has, however, been, at times, very low. There has been but a very small quantity of sulphur, and almost or entirely an absence of sulphuretted hydrogen. The tests, however, have always shewn the presence of ammonia. The water supply has, on the whole, been good, the amount of organic matter averaging about .515 of a grain per gallon; thus showing the vast improvement that has been achieved since our water supply has been obtained above tidal influence. During the fifty-two weeks of the past year, from January to December, the number of deaths registered in the Parish amounted to 1933. The number in the different Wards being as follow:— Males. Females. Total. Brompton Ward 256 292 548 Kensington and Notting Hill 675 710 1385 931 1002 1933 Being less by 33 than the return for last year. The number of deaths occurring under 5 years of age was 755 being 39.05 per cent. of the total number of deaths, whereas last year the 31 number was 799, or 40.6 per cent. of the deaths registered in that year. In the Consumption Hospital 99 deaths took place; not a single case being, as far as I can learn from the Reports sent to the Registrar-General, that of an inhabitant of the Parish. The number of deaths of an Infectious or Zymotic character were:- In Brompton, 1867. Small Pox. Measles. Scarlatina. Whooping Cough. Diarrhoea. Fever. Cholera. Total. 1st Quarter 1 • • • 2 7 • • • 4 • • • 14 2nd Quarter 3 • • • 2 2 • • • 1 • • • 8 3rd Quarter • • • 1 • • • 1 13 3 • • • 18 4th Quarter 7 1 2 3 2 1 • • • 16 Total 11 2 6 13 15 9 • • • 56 In Kensington. 1st Quarter 6 1 10 22 2 12 • • • 53 2nd Quarter 10 2 6 18 2 9 • • • 47 3rd Quarter 2 2 7 10 52 4 1 78 4th Quarter • • • 12 6 5 7 12 • • • 42 Total 18 17 29 55 63 37 1 220 Grand Total for the whole Parish. 29 19 35 68 78 46 1 276 Total for year, 1866. 10 40 28 28 112 33 8 259 The number of births during the same period has been 3158, namely— Males. Females. Total. In Brompton 291 315 606 Kensington 1317 1235 2552 1608 1550 3158 The number of births last year was 3080. The returns thus show not only a decrease of mortality but also an increase in the number of births in the Parish. 32 You will perceive an increase of mortality from that frightful disease Small Pox, due, without doubt, to the imperfect compliance of the population with the requirements of the Compulsory Vaccination Act. Yon will at the same time observe a decrease in the number of deaths from Diarrhoea. With the exception of Whooping Cough, the death-rate from other Zymotic diseases has not varied much from that of former years. I append, as usual, the Report of the Sanitary Inspectors,—Mr. Langman, for the North District; Mr. Wood, for the Central; and Mr. Lovell, for the South. These Inspectors date from March 25th, 1867, to March 25th, 1868; whereas the Mortality Returns are compiled from January to December, in the same way as the Returns published by the Registrar-General. 1 33 REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS UNDER THE NUISANCES REMOVAL ACT, From. 25th March, 1867, to 25th March, 1868. DISTRICTS: North. Central. South. Total. Number of Houses inspected 1319 893 1112 3324 Complaints made 592 564 551 1707 Notices prepared and served 549 477 437 1463 Summonses heard at Police Court 81 43 35 159 Magistrates' Orders made 39 14 21 74 Works done under Summons without order 42 25 64 121 Rooms cleansed and whitewashed 524 476 672 1672 Passages and staircases ditto 178 70 506 754 Drains—New pipes to houses, feet about 380 200 423 1003 „ Repaired 87 38 76 201 „ Cleansed 43 27 39 109 „ Trapped 70 26 45 141 „ New bell Gratings 97 30 73 200 „ Entered with Sewer 24 7 31 62 Sinks—Trapped 36 29 24 89 Cesspools—Emptied 11 6 36 53 „ Abolished 7 3 34 44 Privies—New panned 41 11 29 81 „ Trapped 35 29 38 102 „ Cleansed and Repaired 60 36 48 144 „ Dilapidated ones abolished 8 4 7 19 „ New erected 14 7 10 31 „ Supplied with water 147 136 111 394 Houses supplied with water 13 9 10 32 New covers to Cisterns and Butts 28 17 22 67 New Receptacles for water provided 33 8 28 69 Ventilation of houses improved 13 6 9 28 Yards re-paved and repaired 18 19 16 53 Stables and outhouses cleansed and whitewashed 20 23 36 79 Cows removed 0 0 0 0 Cow sheds abolished 0 0 0 0 Pigs removed 45 39 32 106 Styes abolished 19 5 12 36 New Dustbins erected 11 17 21 49 New Dungpits erected 51 11 23 85 Offensive accumulations of dung removed 24 64 72 160 34 DISTRICTS:  North. Central. South. Total. Stagnant Water, Animal, and other offensive matter removed 32 27 22 81 Nuisances removed by request of Inspectors 18 39 60 117 Cases in which Inspectors could not interfere 16 49 32 97 „ referred to Surveyor's office 15 23 27 65 Unnecessary complaints 25 40 56 121 Bakehouses under constant supervision 54 16 38 108 Licensed Slaughter-houses ditto 16 10 14 40 „ Cow Sheds ditto 25 6 11 42 This Report, of course, does not represent the actual amount of work really performed, but is only a record of those cases demanding your Vestry's directions. I remain, Gentlemen, Your faithful Servant, FRANCIS GODRICH, Medical Officer of Health.