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tersea, twelve in Clapham, four in Streatham, and none in
Wandsworth or Putney. It is not a matter of surprise
that the largest share of epidemic disease should occur in
Battersea. The small amount of epidemic disease in
Clapham is remarkable. (See Table.)
We refer the reader to Table IV. in the Appendix
for the intensity of the epidemic disease during the last
eleven years.
Non-Zymotic Diseases.— There is nothing of much
importance to note with regard to any of the other classes
of disease, except perhaps the somewhat large mortality
from nervous diseases. (See the Wandsworth Local Summary,
page 59.) The diseases of the Digestive System,
and of the Heart, also show an increase.
Mortality according to Age.— The proportion of
infants who died during the year was 43.0 per cent. of
the total mortality. A similar ratio for the Metropolis
was 41.2 per cent.—2.4 per cent. less than ours. This is
significant, and it behoves us to see that our infantile
population is not unduly suffering from causes of mortality,
which are practically equivalent to infanticide. We refer
to neglect, exposure, insufficient clothing, improper or
insufficient food, &c., from which so many young children
die, especially when left by mothers, who work out of their
own houses, to the care of careless or ignorant persons. The
amount of illegitimacy, which is, according to the RegistrarGeneral's
Abstracts for 1876, large in the District, may
account for part of this avoidable mortality. The inculcation,
among the pupils in senior girls' classes, of some
wholesome advice as to the proper food, clothing, and
ordinary management of children, might be a means of
doing much good. The mortality amongst the very aged
(above 80) amounts to 3.48 per cent.; that for the entire
metropolis amounted to 3.45.