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26
1909]
for this quarter of the year of 17.90 per 1000. Thus, the new year did not
open very salubriously, nor did it give any indication of the more healthy conditions
which prevailed later on. The highest mortality occurred in the third
week of March, and the lowest in the third week of January, at which periods
the death-rates were respectively 25.24 and 11.13 per 1000 annually.
In the County of London in the same quarter, the death-rate was 19.0, and
in the Encircling Boroughs 19.1 per 1000 inhabitants. In St. Pancras it was
20.5; in Stoke Newington 16.4; in Hackney 16.7; in Hornsey 10.2; in Finsbury
26.0; and in Shoreditch 25.4.
Second Quarter.— In this quarter there was a decided improvement
in the mortality returns, for the deaths only numbered 1,136, or 104 less than the
corrected average (1,240) of the ten years (1899-1908), and were equal to the
low annual death-rate of 12.93 per 1000, as compared with a mean decennial
rate for this quarter of the year of 14.12 per 1000. The mortality, in proportion
to population, was with two exceptions the lowest hitherto experienced in
the borough in the second quarters of the years 1886-1908. The highest
mortality occurred in the first and second weeks of April, and the lowest in the
last week of June, at which periods the death-rates were respectively 17.37,
17.37 and 9.20 per 1000 annually.
Third Quarter.—In this quarter the deaths numbered 903, or 295 less
than the corrected average (1,198) of the ten years (1899-1908), and were equal
to the low annual death-rate of 10.28 per 1000, as compared with a mean decennial
rate of 13.64 per 1000. The mortality, in proportion to population, was
lower than any experienced in the borough in the third quarters of the
years 1886-1908. The highest mortality occurred in the second week of September,
and the lowest in the first week of September, at which periods the
death-rates were respectively 13.06 and 7.27 per 1,000 annually. The excellent
health of the borough at this time was in great part due to the low
infantile mortality, for it was found that there were only 180 deaths among
infants under a year old, or 177 below the average (357) of the preceding
ten years at this period of the year. These deaths represented an
infantile mortality rate of 90 per 1000 infants born, as compared with 153 per
1000 in the third quarters of the ten years 1899-1908. In the third quarter of
1908 the rate was 95 per 1000 births. The infantile mortality rate was the
lowest hitherto recorded for any corresponding period, with one exception, viz.:
that of 79 per 1000 in 1907.
In the County of London the infantile mortality rate was also low, being
only 109 per 1000 births, while in the Encircling Boroughs it was 110. In
these the respective infant mortality rates were as follows:—St. Pancras 106,
Stoke Newington 97, Hackney 105, Hornsey 50, Finsbury 89, and Shoreditch
179.