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the male sex was 16.0, and in the female sex 11.9 per 1000, as
against 18.9 and 13.9 in 1888. There was one death to every
73.8 inhabitants, as against one to 62.6 in 1888. Out of 72,000
males, 1151 died, equal to one in 62.5, against one in 52.8 in
1888 ; whilst only 1261 females died out of 106,000, or one in 84,
against one in 71.8 in 1888. The deaths in the first and fourth,
or colder quarters (1243), exceeded those in the second aud third,
or warmer quarters (1169) by 74. In the three preceding years
consecutively, the difference in favour of the warmer quarters was
320, 272 and 229.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The deaths of young children always bear a high ratio to
total deaths. Last year, however, these deaths were by many fewer
than usual; those under five years being 789, (386 in the first and
fourth quarters, and 403 in the second and third quarters), compared
with 1029, 1129, and 1077 in the three preceding years. These
deaths were equal to 32.7 per cent. on total deaths, and to 21.3 per
cent. on births registered : the equivalent percentages for the wholeMetropolis
were 40.1 and 23.1. Under one year of age the deaths
were 489 (compared with 636, 680 and 604 in 1886-7-8 consecutively),
and were equal to 20.3 per cent. on total deaths, and
to 13.2 per cent. on registered births ; the equivalent percentages
for the whole Metropolis being 24.5 and 14.1.
The deaths of illegitimate children under five years of age
were 87—males 39, females 48—of which 78 were registered in
the Town sub-district, as against 104, 104 and 101 in the three
preceding years, and were equal to 43.7 per cent, on births
registered as illegitimate. Of these 87 children, only 19 outlived
their first year, 13 dying in the second, and 6 in the third
year of life. The causes of death, as registered, were atrophy,
debility, and inanition 17 ; premature birth 5 ; tubercular diseases,.
5; zymotic diseases, 13 (diarrhoea, 12, and diphtheria, 1);
syhpilis, 9; lung diseases, 18; convulsions, 6 ; brain disease 3;
diseases of the digestive organs, 2 ; violence, 5 (viz., 3 from