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children, and that the high mortality of children in London and other large towns is
due to confinement within doors from lack of play out of doors Under one year of age
infants are necessarily much at home with their mothers; so in endeavouring to ascertain
what causes are actually operating to enhance our child death-rate, it is necessary to
distinguish between children old enough to run about, and those who are not. The
influences which appear most calculated to operate in promoting disease and death
amongst young children, are poverty and its associated neglect, etc., a contaminated
atmosphere within doors, of which the amount of crowding into houses may be taken
as the index, and thirdly, the closeness with which houses are packed together, impeding
light and free circulation, of air, and depriving children of space for play out
of doors.
The following is the result of my tabulation for a single year:—
I have confined my statement of results to those districts which have remained
since 1861 pretty stationary as to population. These districts are, in Group I.
Barnsbury, Canonbury, Highbury Hill and Duncan; in Group II., Kingsland,
Botherfield, Church, St. Thomas, Theberton, St. Peters, Trinity, Palmer, Highbury
Vale and Park-street. In group III., Irish Courts, Belle Isle, White Conduit, Lower
Boad, City Boad, Battle Bridge and Canal.
First then as to Children over One Year and under Five Years of aye.
1. Influence of poverty and its attendant circumstances.
In the 4 districts of group 1. together, such deaths occurred in 9.1 per 1000 of the families
„ 10 „ ,, 2. „ 13.3 ,,
„ 7 „ „ 3. „ 20.5 „
2. Influence of crowding, as measured by the average number of persons in a house.
In 15 districts where every 10 houses lodge on an average 60 or less than 80 persons,
(the mean being 70) such deaths occurred in 12.3 per 1000 of the families.
In 5 districts „ „ „ 80 or less than 100 persons
(the mean being 87.0) 19.0
In 1 district „ „ „ over 100 persons
(the mean being 103.7) 49.3
3. Influence of crowding as measured by the Number of Families in a house.
In 6 districts where every 10 houses lodge on an average less than 15 families (the
mean being 13.0), such deaths occurred in 8.9 per 1000 families.
In 8 districts „ „ ,, 15 and under 20 families.
(the mean being 17.3 14.5
In 7 districts „ „ „ 20 families and upwards,
(the mean being 20.9) 19.2
4. Influence of closeness of buildings and deficient play space.
In 11 of the most open districts,* such deaths occurred in 10 per 1000 families.
In 6 „ closer „ || „ 19 per 1000 „
In 4 „ closest „ § „ 17.3 per 1000 „
* Barnsbury, Canonbury, Highbury Hill, Duncan, Rotherfield, Church (which includes Islington Green)
Theberton, Palmer, Highbury Vale, Park-street, Belle Isle.
|| Kingsland, St. Thomas, St. Peter's, Trinity, Battle Bridge, Canal.
§ Irish Courts, White Conduit, Lower Road, City Road.