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No less than 83 of these deaths occurred in children
under five years of age. Scarlet Fever was more
fatal than in the previous year, there being 45
deaths from this disease, against only 16 in 1886.
The average of the 10 preceding years, however,
is 56, and during that period there were three
years when the number of deaths from this cause
exceeded 100. Whooping Cough accounted for 87
deaths, of which 84 took place in children under five
years of age. From Diarrhoea there were 101
deaths, 89 of which happened in the third or
summer quarter, and 80 in infants under one year.
10 deaths were attributed to Diphtheria :—one in
the Leather Market District; two in St. Mary
Magdalen's; and seven in St. James's. This
number is below the average, which is 14. The
deaths from Fever included eight of the enteric and
one of the simple continued form. In 1863 the
deaths from Fever were 64, and the average for five
years was 48. The completion of the main drainage
scheme, the covering of the tidal ditches, and the
abolition of cesspools, were promptly followed by
a great reduction in the number of deaths from
fever. Including two deaths from Enteric Fever
which occurred in the hospitals, our fever death
rate is 0.12 per 1,000. The same rate in London
is 0.16, and the mean rate in 28 great towns is
0.22. There are 10 towns in which this rate exceeds
0.30, and one—Preston—where it amounts
to 0.63.
In the class of Septic Diseases there were seven
deaths from Erysipelas, one from Pyaemia, one from
Gangrene, two from Anthrax, and eight from Puerperal
Septicaemia.