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CAUSES OF DEATH.
Zymotic Diseases. —The principal diseases of this class
caused 292 deaths, or 17 per cent. In the previous year the
fatal cases numbered 420, or 22 per cent. The decennial
average is 373. Measles prevailed chiefly during the first
three quarters of the year, and caused 67 deaths. The mortality
from whooping cough was 25. In 1882, it was 178.
The deaths from scarlet fever, which had been 5 in the first
quarter and 9 in the second quarter, increased to 33 in the
third, and to 54 in the fourth quarter, making a total of 101.
Of this number, 73 were under 5 years of age. The deaths
were equal to a rate of 1.15 per thousand living, and formed
5.8 per cent of the total deaths. In London, the scarlet
fever death rate was 0.50, and the percentage of deaths, 2.47.
There were 16 deaths from diphtheria, of which 14 occurred
in the St. James's District. Last year, 8 out of 9 deaths took
place in the same district; in 1881, 26 out of 31; and in
1880, 11 out of 13. In other respects, this district is the
healthiest in the parish. The proportion of its population is
63 per cent. Its proportion of the deaths from diphtheria
during the last five years has been 84 per cent. In my Report
for 1881, I expressed the opinion "That the main sewers
in this district are not sufficiently ventilated." I know of no
other reason for the greater prevalence of this disease in this
locality. 16 deaths were attributed to fever—13 to enteric
fever, and 3 to Typhus. Diarrhœa caused 66 deaths, of
which 46 took place in the third quarter. The zymotic death
rate was 3.3 per thousand persons living.
Constitutional Diseases caused 300 deaths, or 17.4 per cent.
The first division included 5 deaths from rheumatism, 2 from
gout, and 2 from rickets. Cancer caused 27 deaths—24 females
and 3 males. The ages at death ranged from 25 to 85
years. Our death rate from cancer, was 0.30. The London
rate was 0.64. In the tubercular division there were 272
deaths, viz.: from phthisis 164; from tubercular meningitis
70; from tabes mesenterica 29; and from scrofula and other
forms of tuberculosis 9. The death rate from Phthisis was
1.86; the London rate being 2.25. On the other hand our
death rate from tubercular meningitis (which is a disease of
childhood) was 0.79, while the London rate was only 0.36. The