Report by the Central Board of Health of Jamaica / presented to the legislature under the provisions of the 14th Vic. chap. 60, and printed by order of the Assembly.

  • Jamaica. Central Board of Health
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report by the Central Board of Health of Jamaica / presented to the legislature under the provisions of the 14th Vic. chap. 60, and printed by order of the Assembly. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

    558/594 (page 248)
    '■^■^^ Appendix. A good <lispeiisary system, supported by taxes, Is very essential. It seems absurd to spend great sums to import emigrants, and not to provide against an extensive dimiiintion by death, lor want of a little medicine and medical aid. A census appears very desirable next year to tell us (Mjr real position. '^^^^'^ ^^^''^^ hundred and eight square miles. There is but one town, (Savanna-la-iVJar ;) there are many villages. The parish is about equally divided between mountain and plain. The inhabited locali- ties aie all accessible by, at least, bridle roads. No. 2. By census of 1844 the population was twenty-four thousund six hundred, and judging by the increase between J838 and 1844, at the former of which dates it was a little over twenty thousand, the estimated population in 1851, before cholera, would be about thirty thousand. It is supposed that one thousand five hundred have been lost by cho- lera. The medical returns of fatal cases are not yet made up, so as to distinguish as to the incidence of morta- lity with respect to sexes. The occupation in this parish is chiefly agricultu- ral. No. 3. Fortv-four cultivated estates ; five thousand other properties. Want of labour is not excessive, but that it is considered by the planters insufficient, appears fiom the number of coolies introduced, many of whom were worthless, and died off in great num- biers. No. 4. One shilling per diem, paid pretty regular- ly in money. The parish is a very wet one, and pro- visions are plentiful, w hich affects a regular supply of labour, as the people can earn more than they need. ]No. 5. The number of out-door paupers receiving parochial aid is two hundred and forty-one, at a cost or £1000 per annum. The number of paupers in the poor house is forty-