View report page

12
33.9, 32.0, 32.3, 30.8, 30.9, 30.4, and 29.7; in 1888 it
dwindled to 27.8 per 1,000 population. The birth, rates for
the whole of London in the same period, (1880-87), was 35.3,
34.7, 34.4, 34.0, 33.7, 32.6, 32.4, 31.7, and for 1888 only 30.7
per 1000 population. This reduction cannot depend on a proportionately
decreased number of marriages, as during this period
they have varied only a little, but probably to the later period of
life in all London, and doubtless in this district, at which this
ceremony is performed. It may also be that marriages have
been less fertile of late than formerly.
I have already referred to the progressive decrease in the
death rate for this district, which it is to be hoped, though
scarcely to be expected, will continue to decrease without
check to its lowest point. The comparatively even temperature
during the year, except on a few occasions, and the greatly
increased rainfall, as compared with the last few years, have
been very favourable to health. Amongst the diseases with a
low death rate this year may bo mentioned diarrhoea, and this
might have been expected, as the great factor of death from this
disease is continuous dry, hot weather, as I pointed out nearly 30
years ago. The mean temperature of the Thames did not reach
the height which always accompanies an epidemic of diarrhoea.
The low mortality must not, therefore, be entirely placed to
the better sanitary conditions of the district, for independently of
these and the weather, better and more food, owing to its low
price, have been obtainable for years past than formerly, and must
have assisted in raising the standard of health amongst the
working classes and their children, who constitute so large a
proportion of the population of this country.
The death rate amongst the newly born, and all those
under 1 year of age, has also been singularly small for similar
reasons. The average death rate of children under 1 year to
total births for the 10 years 1878-87 was 132 per 1,000
registered births, which is much below that for all London,
viz., 156. In 1888 this death rate for the district was below