View report page

From this table it is seen that of a thousand children living under 5 years
in Kentish Town sub-district, only 71 died, whilst of the same number in
Tottenham Court and Gray's Inn sub-districts respectively, there died 94 and 91.
Of the two sexes, the mortality is different at different ages, and also the
total mortality is different. There are many more females than males living in
St. Pancras, as in most other places—probably 106,000 females and 89,000
males; so that more females than males died in the year 1858, yet in proportion
to the number living of each sex, the mortality was considerably lower amongst
females than amongst males. The death-rate of males was 249 in the ten thousand
; of females only 205 in the same number. The general rule is that more
male children than female are born; more males than females die, and the excess
of male deaths is proportionally greater than the excess of male births, so that
there remain to survive more females than males.
I have again this year, as last, tabulated the deaths of all males above 20
years of age, according to their Occupations. (See Table X.) There is a difficulty
in estimating the rate of mortality amongst the different classes, owing to the
fact that we do not exactly know what numbers are living in the Parish belonging
to the several occupations ; the only guide we have is the number living at the
time of the census of 1851. Taking this as a standard for the present population,
by a study of Table X, it will be found that the following had last year high rates
of mortality ; arranging them in the order of their insalubrity they are,—Coachmen
and Cabmen,* those engaged in the East Indian Service, Actors, Ministers
of Religion, Pensioners, Jockeys,* Commercial Travellers, Coal-heavers,* Jewellers,
Costermongers,* Gardeners, Cab owners,* those engaged in Gas "Works'
service, House Painters, Brickmakers, Printers, Butchers, Soldiers,* "Watchmakers,
Engravers, Coal Merchants, Railway Engine Drivers,* Licensed Victuallers,*
and Shoemakers.
Those marked with an asterisk (*) were also found to show a high mortality
in 1856, 1857.
The whole of those enumerated above died at a rate of more than 25 to every
1000 of that occupation living in 1851. Accidental circumstances may place any
one occupation high on the list, especially when the numbers engaged in it are
small; but when the same occupation stands high for a succession of years, we
may be sure that there is something in the habits of those engaged in such
pursuits, or in the occupation itself, which raises the rate of mortality.
(a) In these two sub-districts allowance has been made for the Workhouses, the deaths in
which have been excluded.
(b) This column is calculated on the assumption that the same proportionate number of the
entire population in each district is under 5 years of age, as at the census of 1851.