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29
Infant Mortality.—Although it may be very gratifying
to refer to the evidently decreasing mortality of the Subdistrict,
it is the very reverse of being so to find that
nearly two-thirds of the deaths registered in 1867 have
been of infants and young persons, varying in age from
birth to 20 years. This it must be confessed, is a most
melancholy feature of the table, since it discloses the fact
that of the 870 deaths, as many as 292 were of infants
under 1 year, 190 of children from 1 to 5 years, 30 from
5 to 10 years, and 29 of young persons from 10 to 20
years of age. This mortality of youth, large as it appears
in the table, is, perhaps, no greater than is found in many
manufacturing localities.
Uncertified Deaths.—Another equally sad circumstance
connected with this part of my report is, that as many
as 24 deaths were registered during the year as having
occurred (chiefly among the children of the labouringpoor),
the causes of which were not certified—that is to
say, were registered on the vague information afforded
by unprofessional persons, no medical advice having been
sought for or obtained during the closing hours of existence.
Without the coroner's inquisition, or post mortem
examination, who could say how many of these uncertified
deaths were due or not to other than natural causes 1
Zymotic Diseases.—A somewhat large amount of mortality
from this class of diseases occurred during the year,
but I am pleased to state the fact of the deaths due to the
seven principal epidemics having been less by 122 than
the number recorded in the preceding year, when they
amounted to 244. As many as 20 deaths were registered
in 1866 as having been due to Small-pox, but in the past
year 11 only were recorded. The deaths due to Measles
in the two years will be found to have fallen from 50 to
14 ; Scarlet Fever from 26 to 18 ; Whooping-cough from 51
to 19 ; and Fever from 30 to 19. There is also a considerable
reduction in the mortality from Diphtheria and
Choleraic disease.
Other Diseases.—The mortality due to the Tubercular
class of diseases has always been large in this Sub-district,