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Diseases of the organs of respiration caused 55 deaths, viz:—
bronchitis 45, pneumonia 7, asthma 1, and croup 2. The
extraordinary number of deaths from bronchitis is attributable to
the low temperature, easterly wind, and dense fogs which prevailed
during the first week of the above period.
The deaths from tubercular diseases numbered 20; of which
14 were from consumption, 3 from tabes, and 1 from hydrocephalus.
The other registered causes of death included 7 from convulsions,
9 from old age, 6 from teething, and 8 from heart disease.
Three Inquests were held. The causes of death were
inflammation of the lungs, heart disease and apoplexy.
Five deaths were not certified. Two of them were registered
on the authority of the Coroner's Officer.
The deaths which occurred at various periods of life were 36
under one year, 32 between one and five years, 52 between five and
sixty years, and 28 above sixty years.
The water supplied by the Southwark Water Company during
the month of January was efficiently filtered; but inferior in quality
to that supplied during December.
The proportion of organic impurity was double that in the
water of the West Middlesex Company which is taken from the
same source.
In London during the week ending February 7th, 2684 births
and 3376 deaths were registered. Allowing for increase of
population, the deaths exceeded by 1657 the average number in the
corresponding week of the last 10 years. The annual death rate
from all causes, which had been equal to 24·6, 27·1, and 31·3 in the
three preceding weeks, further rose to 48·1 per thousand. The
death rate was higher than it has been in any week since the cholera
epidemics of 1849, 1854 and 1866. The nearest approach in
recent years to so high a rate of mortality, was recorded in the week
ending December 20th, 1873 when the death rate was equal to 37.5
per 1000, influenced then, as recently, by low temperature and
dense fogs. The deaths from respiratory organs
rose to 1557 last week and exceeded the corrected weekly average
by 1118. The fatal cases of bronchitis, which had been 531 in the
previous week, rose to 1223 last week. The fatal eases of whooping
cough were also unprecedentedly numerous. They rose from 193 to
to 248—of these 101 occurred in the South Districts.