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locality, although, of course, the mortality will vary partly
according to the social status of the inhabitants. The marriages
were more numerous than in any other year in the table.
The table also shows the great increase in the population,
and the corresponding increase in the number of persons per acre,
which Dr. Farr considered to be one of the chief controlling
agents of the death-rate. It is certainly extremely satisfactory
to have such a much lower death-rate now than in 1871, when
it was 22.4 per 1,000 inhabitants, and the density of population
was as nearly as possible one-half only what it is at present.
How far the improvement in the sanitary state of the houses
will explain this very large decrease,—I cannot say, but I
believe I can confidently claim a very large proportion, for the
active sanitary work that has been carried out in this district
for so many years past. There is no doubt that part of the
reduction has been caused by the comparative absence of
infectious diseases, except diphtheria, from the district, and the
smaller number of deaths from diarrhoea, which arose chiefly
from the unusually low temperature and the prevalence of
rain, in the months during which this disease is generally most
fatal. The number of births was somewhat larger than in
1888, having been 6,674, against 6,511 and the proportion
to deaths was 199 to each 100, which is more favourable than for
all London. I may mention here that the deaths I report are
those which occurred between January 1st, and December 31st,
both days inclusive. The number registered under 1 year
of age, and also the total under 5 years were smaller than
for any other year in the table.