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in the London death-rate since 1880 implies that about 110,000 persons in
London have survived, whose deaths would have been recorded had the rate of
mortality since 1880 equalled that which prevailed in the twenty years 1861-80.
"The lowest death-rates among the forty-one sanitary districts during 1888
were: 12.7 in Hampstead, 13.8 in Plumstead, 14.8 in Kensington, 14.9 in Battersea,
15.1 in Hackney, and 15.5 in Camberwell. In the other districts the
rates ranged upwards to 25.0 in Stepney, 25.5 in St. Olave, Southwark, 25.9 in
St. Saviour, Southwark, 26.4 in Holborn, and 27.8 in St. George-in-the-East.
During the year under notice, 10,727 deaths resulted from the principal zymotic
diseases in London; of these, 2,986 were referred to whooping-cough, 2401 to
measles, 2,166 to diarrhoea, 1,268 to diphtheria, 1196 to scarlet fever, 701 to
different forms of "fever" (including 658 to enteric fever, 33 to simple and illdefined
forms of continued fever, and 10 to typhus), and 9 to small-pox. These
10,727 deaths were equal to an annual rate of 2.5 per 1,000, which was lower
than the rate in any year on record. The zymotic death-rate during last year
in the various sanitary districts ranged from 1.3 per 1,000 in Woolwich and in
Plumstead, 1.4 in St. James, Westminster and in Hampstead, and 1.5 in St.
George, Hanover Square, to 3 7 in Clerkenwell and in St. Luke's, 3.8 in St.
George-in-the-East and in St. Saviour, Southwark, 4.0 inFulham,4.2 in Bethnal
Green, and 4.5 in Stepney. Compared with the preceding year, the mortality
from measles, scarlet fever and diarrhœa showed a decline, while that from
diphtheria showed a marked excess. Only 9 deaths from small-pox were
recorded in London during the year under notice, corresponding with the
number in 1887. which was the lowest on record; of these, 3 belonged to South
London, 2 to West, 2 to East, 1 to North, and 1 to Central London. Sixtyeight
small-pox patients were admitted into the Metropolitan Asylums
Hospitals during 1888, but none remained under treatment at the end of
December. Measles showed the highest proportional fatality in Clerkenwell,
Bethnal Green, Mile End Old Town, Fulham, St. Saviour, Southwark, and
Stepney; scarlet fever in Westminster, Camberwell, St. Luke's, Stepney,
Mile-End Old Town, Poplar, and Bethnal Green; diphtheria in Kensington,
St. George, Hanover Square, St. Saviour, Southwark, Wandsworth, Lewisham,
Westminster, and Paddington; whooping-cough in St. Luke's, Shoreditch,
Stepney, Bethnal Green, and Westminster; and diarrhœa in Clerkenwell, St.
Luke's, Whitechapel, St. George-in-the-East, and Fulham. The number of
) scarlet fever patients under treatment in the Metropolitan Asylums Hospitals,
which had been 2,046 at the beginning of the year 1888, was only 738 at the
end of December; the admissions were 4,457, the number in each quarter being
1,416, 1,025, 1,095, and 921 respectively.
"Infant mortality in London during 1888, measured by the proportion of
deaths under one year of age to births registered, was equal to 146 per 1,000,
against an average rate of 154 in the ten preceding years, 1878-87. While the
rate of infant mortality did not exceed 99 in Plumstead, 110 in Hampstead,
131 in Paddington, and 132 in St. George, Hanover Square, it ranged upwards
in the other sanitary districts to 186 in Clerkenwell, 190 in Holborn, 191 in
Stepney, 195 in St. George-in-the-East, and 203 in St. Saviour, Southwark."
N.B.—It will be noted that the population of Bethnal Green as given by the Editor of the British
Medical Journal greatly exceeds my estimate. I am, however, bold enough to hold the
opinion that my figure is more nearly correct than his.