View report page

Table VIII. is a new one introduced by direction
of the Local Government Board to ensure uniformity;
being used by all the Medical Officers of Health throughout
the Kingdom. This gives the mortality for the whole of
Battersea and shows the number of deaths occurring in the
two registrars' districts and the local public institutions.
A column has also been added showing the number of deaths
in each class which were those of non-residents in Battersea.
The classification of the causes of deaths are considerably
altered in the new table, amongst the most important features
being the sub-division of Respiratory Diseases; the classification
of deaths from Alcoholism associated with Cirrhosis of Liver,
and also of Venereal Diseases. In regard to the two latter
causes of death it is exceedingly doubtful whether the mortality
records ever correctly show the true extent to which these
contribute to mortality, and until the law relating to the
registration of deaths is so amended that the death certificate
is forwarded to the registrar direct, instead of passing as at
present through the hands of relatives, sentiment will continue
to prevail and deaths from Venereal Diseases will continue to
be recorded as from Blood Poisoning, &c., and deaths from
Alcoholism will be recorded as from the diseases associating
it, without reference to the primary cause.