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The senile deaths (65 years and over) are 17 less than last year.
Death Certification.—All deaths, except one, were certified either by the
medical attendant or by the Coroner.
Inquests were held on 52 residents, or 9.1 per cent, of the total deaths
amongst residents registered in the district; 26 of them during each half of the
year. This percentage compares favourably with nearly 13 per cent in 1913.
For inquests on infants see next section.
The ages at, and causes of, death are set out in detail in Table 111.
Zymotic death-rate.—This rate is a statement of the number of deaths
from the seven principal zymotic diseases per 1,000 of the population. These
diseases are small-pox, enteric fever, measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough,
and diphtheria, at all ages, also diarrhoea (and enteritis) in children under
two years of age. There were 42 deaths from these diseases during the year,
and the zymotic death-rate is therefore 0.55. as compared with 0.57 for the
previous year. This figure is 0.02 less than last year.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The infantile mortality is a special death-rate, referring to the first ageperiod
(0 to 1 year), and is expressed as the number of deaths that take place
amongst children under one year of age per thousand births registered.
The number of such deaths occurring amongst Edmonton children and
registered within (or without) the district was 84, and the births registered
within (or without) the district, born of Edmonton mothers, numbered 1,237;
therefore the infantile death-rate, based on these figures, is 67.91 per thousand
births. This is the lowest on record ; the previous lowest was 74.55 in 1910.
Seven of the 84 infantile deaths were those of illegitimate infants—that is
8.3 per cent, of the infantile deaths; two inquests were held. Inquests were
also held on 8 of the other infants, making a total of 10.
The one death uncertified was that of an infant, and one took place in a
caravan.
The infantile mortality rate for the year in England and Wales was 89;
in London, 85; in the 96 great towns (which include Edmonton), 93; and in
the 148 smaller towns, 90 per thousand births registered.
Table IV. shows that 47.6 per cent. of the infantile deaths occurred within
the first month of life, and that 40.5 per cent. were due to what are termed
"wasting diseases," viz., premature birth, atrophy, debility, congenital
defects, and marasmus. Last year the figures were 47.9 and 39.6 per cent.
I must also notice that the premature births were 26, compared with 25,
21 and 16 for 1918-17-16.