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83
I hey are, however, still much in excess of the corresponding
rates prevailing in the whole of England and Wales.
Enquiry was made into the length of residence of each case in
the Borough, and as to the duration of the disease. Adopting
the classification indicated in an earlier part of this report, it
was found that out of the 159 deaths, 90 patients were Finsbury
cases by residence and infection, that is, they had lived in the
Borough for five years, and had presumably been infected with
the disease since their arrival in Finsbury. Fourteen patients
had lived in the Borough less than five years, but had been
infected since they had come to reside in the district, that is to
say, they were Finsbury cases by infection, and not by residence.
Forty persons were considered on this basis to be not Finsbury
cases, that is, they had definite signs of phthisis when they came
into the Borough, and had not lived here five years.
In nine instances no information could be obtained—the
addresses given were false ones. Four patients died in Finsbury
common lodging houses and were otherwise homeless.
If we include only the Finsbury cases by infection, and by
residence and infection, these amount to 104, adding in the deaths
in Finsbury common lodging houses and the doubtful Finsbury
cases, gives a total of 115 deaths, which may reasonably be
associated with the Borough, and a corresponding death rate from
phthisis of 1-31 per thousand inhabitants.
Of the whole number of deaths in Finsbury in 1911, 9-3 per
cent, were due to phthisis, as against 10 and 12 per cent, in
1910 and 1909 respectively. Three-quarters of the deaths due to
phthisis took place between 25 and 65 years, the period of
maximum working efficiency in men—the "working life " period
when their earnings are most needed and their usefulness greatest.
Seventy-four died in the poor law institutions.
The deaths from phthisis in institutions for previous years
are appended