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and 2454 in 1858. Of the whole number registered in 1861,
1421 were males, and 1331 females or an excess of 90 males. The
excess of male births and of male deaths during the first five years
of life, not only in England, but in all other European countries,
is a singular fact, and one which has by no means been satisfactorily
accounted for. I was engaged, some years since, in some
very laborious investigations on this subject; and ascertained that
the excessive mortality of male children is caused by all diseases,
and is not the result of one or two, and that a much larger proportion
of male than female children are born dead.
The rate of child.birth in the sub.districts varied, as might be
expected, considerably from the ratio of population. Thus in
Stoke Newington the population in 1861 was 7.9 per cent. and
the birth.rate 6.2 per cent.; in Stamford Hill the population was
6.6, and the birth.rate only 4.6 per cent.; whilst in South Hackney
the population was 18.5, and the births 19.7 per cent.; and in
Hackney the former was 37.8, and the latter 39.7 per cent. The
difference in the social condition of the inhabitants explains this
variation, in part; but the following Table shows that the causes
are partly accidental, as the ratio of births varies somewhat every
year in each of the sub-districts :—

It will be seen that the rate has become much less in Stamford
Hill sub-district; but the census also shewed the singular fact of
a diminution in the number of inhabitants in this district, whilst in