View report page

52
past three years; St. Marylebone, where a similar
reduction has occurred; and Hampstead, where the
rate has fluctuated. Of the districts included among
the Western Areas, St. George, Hanover Square, had
the lowest rate last year (120), that of Paddington
(161), being next.
CAUSES OF DEATH.
The numbers of deaths due to the various diseases
are set out in Table III. in the Appendix, from which
numbers the rates for the groups contained in Table
17 (1898 column) have been calculated, the rates
for the preceding five years having been obtained in the
same way. In Table 18 the rates for the Parish are
contrasted with those for the whole country, the
Metropolis, &c., and in Tables 19 and 19a, the deaths
and rates from certain selected causes are given for
the whole Parish and its two sub-divisions. Certain
special tables are included this year, of which more
particular mention will be made later.
The total death-rate (15.89) was 0.05 per 1,000
below the mean (15.94) for the five years 1893-97
(see Table 17), and was third in descending order of
magnitude for the six years, that for 1898 (17.87)
being the highest, and that for 1897 (14.33) the
lowest. In comparison with the quinquennial mean
rates, the rate for Class I. (Zymotic Diseases) showed
an increase last year of 0.34; that for Class III.