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The deaths (183) in the Poor-Law Year 1896-97,
comprised 97 of persons who had previously resided in
the three streets having common lodging-houses, the deathrate
being about 45 per 1,000; in the other two streets
the deaths were 87, and the death-rate was about 47 per 1,000.
The deaths of persons who had previously lived at common
lodging-houses were 29, and of other inhabitants 154. The
death-rate of the district, as a whole, was nearly 4G per 1,000:
of the common lodging-house people 44.6 per 1,000; of the
other inhabitants 46 per 1,000. Of the 183 total deaths, 94
took place at the Infirmary, 15 at other public institutions, and
74* in the district itself. One conclusion drawn from the
enquiry was that (contrary to expectation) the presence of the
common lodging-houses did not help to explain the high-rate
of mortality, the death-rate of the inmates of those establishments
being lower than that amongst the people resident in
the other houses.
Mortality in 1896 and 1897.—For the sake of comparison,
the following facts with respect to the 187 deaths that
took place in the registration year 1896, are here inserted:—
First as to ages at death. Fifty-one persons died in the
first year of life and 31 between the ages of 1 and 5. The
deaths under five years (82) were in the proportion of 439
per 1,000 deaths from all causes, as compared with 384 in the
parish as a whole. Between 5 and 20 years the deaths were
6; between 20 and 60 there were 70 deaths; at 60 and
upwards there were 29 deaths. The causes of death may be
summarised as follows: Tubercular diseases, and wasting
diseases of children (atrophy, debility, inanition) 40 deaths;
diseases of the heart and lungs, 49 deaths; diseases of the
zymotic class, 30 deaths; diseases of the nervous system, 17
deaths; cancer, 7 deaths; syphilis, 6 deaths; old age, 4 deaths;
other causes, 34 deaths. Among the deaths from "other
causes" there were seven from violence; in two cases from
accident, viz : male, aged 56, and female, aged 3, from falls ;
* Of the 74 deaths which occurred at home 39, or more than a moiety, were
certified by the two district medical officers and their deputies, a fact which indicates
the large propo.tion of parish cases as compared with the cases medically attended
liy private practitioners, by whom 27 deaths were certified: 8 deaths were registered
on information given by the Coroner,