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It is with local wliolesomeness that we have principally to do, and the interest
that attaches to variations in our rate of mortality depends upon the relation which,
in accordance with this law, exists between popular unhealthiness and local un.
wholesomeness. How important then is it that we should be iu some degree at
least prepared to read aright, or at all avents, not to read incorrectly the indications
of our mortuary table !
It is with this conviction that I preface this report, by the statement of
certain facts relative to our population, and that of London at large, and to the
changes which the last lustrum saw proceed in both, which may be gathered by a
little trouble from the census table, but which, not appearing upon the face of them,
might readily be over-looked.
1. As respects the proportion between the sexes, it appears that although we have
still a large excess of females in our population, and although the proportion is higher
than obtains generally in the metropolis, it is not so high as it used to be. (Table IV).
2. As respects the ages of our population, it appears that the preponderance of
young people under 20 years, and still more remarkably of infants under five
years of age has become greater than it was in 1851. The same thing is observable
with London at large, but with us the increased proportion of young people is
excessive. (Tables Y. and VI.)
The importance of this fact lies in this, that the larger the proportion of
infants in a population,the larger (other things being the same) may the general
death-rate be expected to be, and especially the mortality from those contagious
(zymotic) diseases to which children are particularly liable.
3. Our female population is largly increased by the influx from the provinces and
extra metropolitan districts of young women between the ages of 15 and 20 years.
This is shown by the fact of the number of young women living between these ages,
being, to the extent of 193 per 1000, in excess of those living between 10 and 15
years of age (Table IX). The influx too between these ages seems to be a growing
one, and it is between four and five times larger than takes place in the metropolis
generally. We get the lion's share of these young female immigrants. What becomes
of them 1 Clearly they do not settle here immediately by marriage, since of 8831
young women between 15 and 20, only 217 were married. Probably the greater
number enter into domestic service, others become shopwomen, and some proceed
to learn such businesses as those of dressmakers, milliners, artificial flower makers,
&c. Probably too a good many are young girls at school.
4. Not only have we an excess of young people in Islington, but we have, as compared
with the whole metropolis, a smaller proportion of old people. Of our entire
population over 20 years of age, our elderly persons over 60 years form 848 per
10,000; in London at large such persons form 969 per 10,000. We have even fewer
old people now proportionately to all adults than we had in 1851, when the numbe
was 933 per 10,000. (Table XII.)
This fact will naturally affect the mortality iu our parish from bronchitis,
asthma, and other infirmities of old age.