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22
inquests
Venereal Diseases.—The only indication of the fatal results of these diseases afforded
by the registration of deaths is that furnished by the comparatively few certificates of cause of
death in which "Syphilis" is stated to be the primary cause of death. There is no room for
doubt that the 6 deaths assigned to this heading during the past year is a most misleading
measure of the fatality from venereal diseases, seeing that of the 6 deaths, 5 were of infants
one year of age, the remaining death being that of a male aged 25-45 year?. (See Table IX.)
If the certification of the cause of death were strictly confidential, many of the deaths now
ascribed to general paralysis of the insane, arterio-sclerosis, etc., would fall to be classified
under "venereal diseases." The Index Number for "Syphilis" shows a fall of 46 per cent.
below the annual average for 1909-13, and one of 60 per cent. below the average for 1914-18
See Table IXa,).
Venereal Clinic.—The Clinic at St. Mary.s Hospital for the treatment of all forms of
venereal disease is available for sufferers from any part of the Metropolis and the adjacent
counties. The number of patients admitted cannot be taken as any indication of the number
of attacks in the Borough.
During 1921, 756 new cases attended for the first time, 456 of the patients being males
and 300, females. In the course of the year the attendances totalled 12,719. Two hundred
and seventy-five (275) patients, 180 males and 95 females, ceased attendance before cure was
established. There is at present no power to compel persons so discharging themselves to
resume attendance at the Clinic, or submit themselves to treatment privately.
VI.—INQUESTS.
The proportion of deaths registered after inquest during the year—8.8 per cent.—was very
nearly that of the quinquennium 1909-13 (8.4 per cent.) The proportion has steadily fallen
since 1918, the average for the five years 1914-18 having been 10.0 per cent. Table XVII.
shows the findings at the inquests. The sex-distribution was more normal last year, 57.1 of
the inquests being held on males, as compared with 52.8 per cent. in 1914-18, and 58.3
during 1919-20.
VII.—DEATHS IN INSTITUTIONS.
Last year 838 deaths took place in the various institutions within the Borough, as shown
in Table XVIII. Of the deceased persons, 303 were non-residents. There were in addition,
66 deaths (35 of non-residents) in private nursing homes. It is a little remarkable that 32
of the 492 persons who died in the Infirmary were non-residents, equal to 6.5 per cent. of all
deaths in that Institution. Among the deaths transferred from outlying districts there were
266 which occurred in institutions. The corrected total of deaths of residents of the Borough
in institutions was 801, equal to 45.5 per cent. of the corrected total number of deaths. From
the statement given below it will be seen that during the quinquennium 1909-13 the

percentage of institutional deaths was 39T, last year.s percentage representing an increase of
16 per cent. The percentages for the Borough indicate a fairly steady growth in the
proportion of deaths which take place in institutions. The figures for the Wards do not
show a similar uniformity in change, either when comparison is made between different years
or between the different Wards. The percentages for 1921, when compared with those for
1909-13, show varying rates of increase, the maximum increase having taken place in
Lancaster Gate, East Ward (85 per cent.) and the minimum (9 per cent.) in Queen.s Park.
(See next page).