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they had been vaccinated, just as the Government does before taking passengers
on board an emigrant ship, such measures as these would very much extend the
prevalence of it. Within the last week or two, I was visiting a Ragged School
in this Parish, and of about 50 children, nearly 20 had never been vaccinated.
Amongst the causes of death which should be noted, are those from violence
of various kinds. Under this heading are 7 men killed on the railway; 2 by
falling from heights ; 3 men and 3 women from falls in walking; 3 men and 4
women by injuries from different horse conveyances; 2 men killed by machinery ;
19 children and 3 women burnt or scalded; 3 men and 1 woman committed
suicide by cutting their throats; 1 man by shooting himself; 3 adults, 1 man,
and 2 women committed suicide by poisoning themselves, one using prussic acid,
one laudanum, and one oxalic acid; two children were poisoned through the
careless administration of drugs. No fewer than 12 were drowned, of whom 8
were children, some being accidentally and others murderously drowned; and 4
adults, who probably committed suicide. 3 women hanged themselves; 1
woman intentionally killed herself by suffocation; 14 male and 16 female children
were stifled, all except one, under clothes. They are nearly all said to
have been accidentally suffocated, but one cannot help strongly suspecting that
many of them were murdered. 23 children died from the want of breast milk.
2 men were choked from pieces of food lodging in the air passages ; 2 persons
died from privation; 7 persons, 2 men and 5 women, are returned as dying
directly from intemperance. This number gives but a very imperfect conception
of the number whose lives are abridged, and whose deaths are fearfully hastened
by the abuse of strong drinks. Of the Diseases of the Brain, of those of the
Liver, of those of the Kidney, of the deaths from Premature Old Age, a very
large proportion may be fairly ascribed to Alcohol; and amongst the violent
deaths, I have little doubt that more than one-half may be set down to the same
agent as the direct or indirect cause. Whatever renders the house of the poor
more comfortable, tends to draw them from the gin-shop, and to diminish
intemperance. Convinced as I am of the fearful results of intemperance, and
also of its great prevalence, I cannot but regret that the liberal offer of Mr.
Gurney, to erect a drinking fountain in an open situation in the Parish was not
gratefully accepted, even although the water supplied to it must have been
paid for from the rates. Many a poor man would take a draught of water if he
could get it ready to his hand, and of good quality, where now he resorts to the
public-house. I wish we could have seen St. Pancras taking the lead in this
mode of benefitting the working classes, and improving the district, but already
several districts have anticipated us.
The ages at which deaths have occurred, are worthy of note. Under the
age of 5 years 1980 deaths took place, which is 44 per cent. of all the
deaths. During the second five years of life, there were 244, or 5 per cent.
of all the deaths; during the third five years, that is, between the ages of
10 and 15 years, only 69, or 1½ per cent, of the deaths; between 15 and
25 years of age, 214 or 4.7 per cent. of the deaths; between 25 and 35
years, 274 or 6 per cent; and for the several consecutive periods of 10 years up
to the age of 85, deaths occurred to the following degrees,—297 or 6-5 per cent,
345 or 7.6 per cent., 373 or 8.2 per cent., 365 or 8 per cent., and 268 or 5-9
per cent. of the deaths. Above the age of 85, 79 or 17 per cent. of the deaths
occurred; of these, 3 were females above the age of 95 years; between the ages
of 85 and 95 there were 30 male and 46 female deaths.
The death-rate under the age of 5 years is very high; of every thousand
children of both sexes living at that age, more than 79 died in 1858 ; of every
thousand male children, 82 died, and of every thousand female, 76 died. To
every thousand births of both sexes there were 148 deaths under the age of 1
year; of every thousand male children born, 150 died ; and of every thousand