View report page

14
and the lowest 31.3 against 30.4 in Hackney, or 3.1 decrease in
all England, and 5.6 per 1,000 population in this district.
The highest corrected death-rate in Hackney during the 11
years 1877-87 inclusive was in 1878, when it reached 20.2 per
1,000 population, and the lowest which occurred during the present
year was 16.6, whilst the highest for all London was 23.5
in 1878 and the lowest 19.6 in 1887. The mean annual deathrates
in the three decennial periods 1851-80 for this district
were 19.1, 20.4, and 19.6, so that the present returns are very
satisfactory. The death-rates under 1 year old per 1,000
registered births also indicate an improved sanitary condition
of the district, as, although the inhabitants are generally
speaking poorer than 20 years ago, and there is greater density
of population, these deaths have proportionately decreased. Thus
in 1861-70, there were 143 deaths during the first year of life
in each 1,000 births, and 142 in 1871-80, against 132 in
1877-86, and 136 in 1887. The increase in the number of
deaths in young children this year has been caused to a great
extent by diarrhoea and inflammatory diseases of the lungs,
which diseases, especially amongst the poorer classes, arise
chiefly from a high summer temperature in the one case, and
a low winter temperature in the other. The proportion of
deaths in children under one year to total deaths was for the
same reasons higher than for the 10 years 1877-86, having
been 243 in 1887 against 240 in 1877-86 ; but under 5 years
old, the difference, equally small, namely, 420 in 1887 to 423
in 1877-86 was in favour of this year.
An analysis of the vital and mortal statistics of the sanitary
districts of the metropolis, after complete distribution of the
deaths occurring in public institutions during the year 1887
was published in the British Medical Journal for March 24,
1888. The death rate assigned to Hackney is lower than that
given by me, as I am of opinion that the increase in the