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In England and Wales 165 per cent. died in such institutions, as
compared with 13.5, the average of the preceding ten years. The
proportion of such deaths in London is a long way above any of the
other 76 great towns.
Ward Death Bates.—The death-rates for the separate wards are
shown in Table VII. for the year and for the four quarters; the rates
for London and for England and Wales being also added for purposes of
comparison. The death-rate for both London and the City are slightly
higher than in 1901, the county rate being proportionately higher than
the City. Conduit, Grosvenor, Victoria, St. Margaret, St. John, and St.
Anne Wards have each a higher rate than in 1901, while the Hamlet of
Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge St. George, Great Marlborough, Pall
Mall, Covent Garden and Strand Wards show a decreased rate; that in
the Regent and Charing Cross Wards is practically unchanged.
In the first quarter of 1902, there was a high mortality from
bronchitis and pneumonia, especially affecting old people; there were
also 27 deaths from influenza, and doubtless some of the other deaths
were also due in some measure to this complaint, as in the country
generally the death-rate was 1.7 below the average. It was in February
that the bulk of this mortality occurred. The month was cold, the
temperature being below the average throughout the first three weeks
with extremely low readings of the thermometer, and fogs on several
occasions.
The rise and fall of this mortality for London is shown in the list of
deaths each week from the end of January to the end of March:—
Influenza:-26, 40, 51, 107, 103, 89, 67, 39, 30.
Respiratory diseases:—375, 486, 681, 885, 733, 589, 498, 388, 360.
In Westminster the wards nearest the river appeared to have
suffered most, and to some extent this was the case throughout London,
but the social condition of the inhabitants must, of course, be taken into
consideration in this respect. The central districts (Holborn, Finsbury,
and the City of London) had, as usual, the highest death-rates from
these causes. In February the rates for these districts were 33.6, 34.6,
34'6 respectively ; it will be observed that the rate for the Strand Ward,
which was formerly included in the central group, shared a like rate.
It is a matter for investigation whether this increased mortality be due
to the character of the population, the conditions under which they are
housed, or, as has been suggested, to the greater impurity of the air in
districts which are so centrally placed and furthest from the open
country.
The second quarter showed a general improvement in the deathrates.
For the county as a whole it was 0.7 below the decennial average,
for London 1.2 below. The City rate fell to 13.9, which was 1 below