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The mortality of 1856, had it taken place in a population equal to that of 1857,
would have amounted to 2,594, so that we may consider, notwithstanding some unfavourable
circumstances, our mortality has been less by 38 than during the previous
year.
3. Distributing the corrected mortality between the Sub-districts, that of the West
was 1,371, or 18.2 per 1,000 living; and 1,185 in the East, or 17.2 per 1,000 living.
In either case the Death-rate has been low, but the West Sub-district has this year
exhibited the higher mortality.
4. The greatest number of deaths (68) occurred in the fiftieth week, that ending
December 12th, the next highest weekly mortality was in the thirtieth week, ending
July 25th. The smallest number of deaths (30) took place in the twenty-fourth
week, ending June 13th. Table 3 shows the total weekly mortality, and that from
certain important diseases.
5. Mortality of the Sexes. Of the 2,410 deaths, particulars of which I possess,
1,145 were of Males, and 1,265 of Females. In relation to the number of each sex
living in 1851, however, the mortality in the Male population must be considered to
have really been in excess of that in the Female by 65; the greater part of this excess
viz. 43, being observed in the East Sub-district.
CAUSES OF DEATH.
Table 1,* at the end of this Report, exhibits the diseseas from which the mortality
of the year has arisen. As usual, the zymotic class of maladies occupies the most
prominent position among the causes of death; next to it stand the tubercular
diseases; and below them the diseases of the lungs, exclusive of consumption.
a. Zymotic Diseases †
6. Five hundred and fifty-three or 22.9 per cent. of all the deaths which occurred
in Islington, were attributed to diseases of this class. This per centage is lower than
last year's. The proportion of deaths from these diseases has also been lower in
London at large.
In the West Sub-district these deaths formed 22.4 of the whole number that occurred;
in the East Sub-district 23.4. Allowing for all the fallacies attendant upon
this mode of estimating the comparative sanitary condition of the two Sub-districts,
one cannot avoid observing the reduction from 27'0 per cent. last year to 23.4 in the
East, and the rise by 2 per cent. in the West.
One source of fallacy, which the study of this year's Tables forces upon me, lies in
the different manner in which the mortality has, in the two Sub-districts, affected the
different ages. A very large proportion of the zymotic sickness which proves fatal
falls upon children under five years of age, and it is clear that the per centage of
these deaths will be consequently reduced where from any cause the adult mortality
is increased. Now on comparing the adult mortality (especially at the more advanced
ages) with the population of 1851 in each Sub-district, you cannot fail to be struck
with the discrepancy that exists. It may be partly explained by the fact of persons
*This Table is a summary of more extended Tables in which the mortality is referred to each Subdistrict,
distinguishing the sexes, and the age at death in quinquennial periods, and at each quarter of
the year, prepared for future use. It is a tabulation quite distinct from that employed for my Monthly
Reports, as also from that for the Weekly mortality, (Table 3). The former recognized the deaths as
they were registered—this and the last mentioned, as they have occurred.
†"This class comprises diseases which have been observed to be epidemic, endemic, or contagious.
The blood is probably, in the greater number of them, the primary seat of disease; and they may be
considered, by hypothesis, the result of specific poisons of organic origin, either derived from without or
generated within the body."—Statistical Nosology, 1845, p. 14.