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The figures shew that the death-rate was highest in Shoreditch South and lowest
in Hoxton New Town. The death-rate in Shoreditch was below the average for the
year during the month of January; it was above the average during February and
March, the elevation being mainly attributable to deaths from bronchitis, pneumonia,
and influenza; the death-rate fell rapidly during the first fortnight of April, and
remained considerably below the average during the months of May and June ; there
was a rapid rise during the latter half of July to a maximum attained in the first week
of August, due to a large infant mortality from summer diarrhoea, the death-rate during
this week being 41.6 per 1,000. The high rate of the first week in August was followed
by an abrupt fall in the second week, which was accompanied by a decrease in the
number of deaths from diarrhoea. The death-rate, however, remained considerably
above the average until the second week in September. There was another elevation
of the death-rate during the latter half of December, which was accompanied by a high
mortality from disorders of the chest and influenza, especially amongst persons aged
65 years and upwards,
Infants dying under the age of one year numbered 854, eight more than last year;
of these, 466 were males and 388 females. In 161 instances death was attributed to
diarrhoea, in 16 to enteritis, in 16 to whooping cough, in 15 to measles, and in 38 to
various forms of tuberculosis. Convulsions caused 67 deaths, bronchitis 86, pneumonia
49, prematurity and debility at birth 165, and 121 were attributed to causes not
sufficiently defined, including 98 from marasmus. Of 49 deaths attributable to violence,
no less than 44 resulted from suffocation in bed. In the subjoined table are set out
the deaths of infants in Shoreditch which have been attributed to suffocation in bed
during recent years:—

During the past seven years no less than 229 infants have in Shoreditch alone
lost their lives through want of forethought on the part of those responsible for thensafety,
and from the above figures it would appear that as far as Shoreditch is concerned
suffocation in bed as a cause of death amongst infants has been on the increase during
the past three years.
The deaths amongst infants under one year constituted 29.3 per cent. of the total
number of deaths, as compared with 31.2 per cent. in 1898, 29.6 per cent. in 1897,
29 5 in 1896, 30.3 in 1895, 28.1 in 1894, 25 7 in 1893, 25.6 in 1892, and 26.3 in 1891.