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23
SUMMARY OF VITAL AND MORTAL
STATISTICS, KENSINGTON.
In the table at page 24 there will be found a summary of
the principal vital and mortal statistics of the year arranged in
four-weekly periods corresponding to the dates of the monthly
reports, the maxima and minima being indicated by
distinctive type.
We have already seen that the birth-rate in 1897 was
21.6 per 1,000, as compared with the decenial average 22.4, and
that the death-rate 15"6 per 1,000 was 1.1 per 1,000 below the
rate in 1896 (16.7) and 1.2 below the decennial average (16.8).
There were, as usual, considerable fluctuations in the rate at
different periods of the year ; the rate ranging between the
minimum (13.8) in the fifth four-weekly period, ended May
22nd, and the maximum (20.0) in the thirteenth and last fourweekly
period. During the first seven four-weekly periods the
rate was invariably below the decennial average rate. In the
remaining six four-weekly periods the rate was continuously
above the average. The deaths in the first half-period of the
year (1,262) were fewer by 143 than those in the second halfperiod
(1,405); the death-rate in the two half-period being
13.0 and 16.5 per 1,000 respectively. There was a remarkable
difference in the number of deaths from the principal diseases
of the zymotic class in the two half-periods (158), the number
in the first six months having been 76 only, as compared with
234 in the last half of the year. The 310 deaths from these
causes were 150 fewer than the number in 1896, and 54
below the corrected decennial average (364). The deaths from
the diseases of the respiratory organs (491) were within 13 of
the number in 1896 (504), after correction for the 53rd
week included in that registration year. The deaths from
phthisis were 240.
The mean temperature of the air at Greenwich during the
year was 50.3 degrees Fahr.; the means of the four quarters
successively being, 41.1, 53.1, 60.9, and 46.0.