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Nineteen deaths were ascribed to the immediate or
remote effects of child-birth, and of that number five were
certified as taking place from "puerperal fever," under which
term I have included all septic diseases occurring in lying-in
women. Tubercular diseases, including pulmonary consumption,
caused 551 deaths, as compared with 618 deaths in 1896,
and 635 in 1895. Of these 551 deaths, 387 were due to
pulmonary consumption. There were 214 deaths from the
various kinds of malignant disease, the figures for 1896 being
234, and for 1895, 194. Inflammatory affections of the lungs
and pleura caused 771 deaths, contrasted with 834 in
1896, and 945 in 1895. In my report for last year I pointed
out that the figures for phthisis in Camberwell are relatively
high, and that this was due to the presence of the Workhouse
Infirmary, but not in the sense that it is due to any condition
present in that building, but simply to the fact that people are
removed there on account of the lingering nature of the disease
and through the inability of their friends to support them
during a long illness, death subsequently taking place without
their leaving its shelter.
Among the so-called zymotic diseases the deaths
from Influenza number six more than in 1896, but 108 less
than in 1895. Hooping cough caused 101 deaths, and measles
125 deaths, against 180 and 192 respectively. The figures
considered separately as regards the various sub-districts for
these two diseases are as follows:—In Camberwell, 26 and 43;
Peckham, 38 and 27; St. George's, 35 and 55, while two
deaths from hooping cough took place in Dulwich. These two
diseases being those of infancy it is only natural that they
would be more prevalent in the parts of the Parish where the
birth-rate is the highest. As regards the distribution in the four
quarters of the year, there was but little variation in hooping
cough, in this malady the figures were 34 in the first quarter,
30 in the second, 20 in the third, and 17 in the fourth, whilst
for measles there were two in the first, four in the second, 34
in the third, and 85 in the fourth.
Of the 339 deaths credited to diarrhoea and other
inflammatory diseases of the intestines, 17 took place in the first
quarter, 16 in the second, 288 in the third, and 18 in the fourth.
Of the 288 which occurred in the third, 272 were those of
vi.