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Deaths.
In Tables III. and IV. of Appendix will be found tables dealing
with deaths in the Borough.
The total number of deaths registered in the Borough for the
year ended December 31st, 1923, was 1,192, which is 380 less
than in 1922 and 496 below the average for the last ten years.
When this figure is corrected by exclusion of deaths of nonparishioners
occurring in the district, and the inclusion of deaths
of parishioners occurring outside the district, the number is
raised to 1,480. This is 545 less than in 1922, and 559 less than
the average for the last 10 years.
The death rate for the Borough in 1923 was 12.1 per thousand
living inhabitants, being 4.6 below that recorded in 1922, and
5.1 below the average for the last 10 years.
In column 1, foot of Table I. of the Appendix will be found a
list of places where deaths of non-parishioners occurred in the
district. There were 42 such deaths in all, against 43 in 1922
and 51 in 1921.
9 such deaths occurred in the infirmary; 27 in the River
Thames and the Surrey Commercial Docks, 1 in the street, 1 in
a factory, 2 in private houses, 1 on a ship in the river, and 1 on
a wharf.
288 persons belonging to this Borough died in outlying institutions,
against 496 in 1922, and 394 in 1921. The names of the
various places where the deaths occurred will be found in
columns 2 and 3 at foot of Table I. of Appendix.
The low death rate is very satisfactory, as it is the lowest
death rate which has ever been recorded in Bermondsey. It is
mainly due to the very low infantile mortality, which has also
reached the lowest point on record. This in its turn is low on
account of the small number of deaths from summer diarrhoea.
This used to be the great scourge of infant life, and there is
very little doubt that this has been reduced largely by the