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76
REPORT
on the
SANITARY CONDITION OF ST. MAM, ISLINGTON,
FOR MAY, 1866.
No. CIX.
Taking the death-rate of May for the last ten years as our standard
of comparison, the number of deaths registered during the four weeks
ending the 26th ultimo should have been about 280; instead of this
the deaths actually registered amounted to 360. This high mortalityis
probably due, in a great measure, to the low atmospheric temperature
of the month. In the first week the temperature was 7.8 degrees below
the mean of 50 years (Greenwich), in the third week it was 4,2 degrees,
and in the fourth 2.4 degrees below the mean.
The excess of mortality is noticeable in every one of the principal
classes among which the causes of death are distributed. Among the
zymotic diseases, measles and hoopiDg cough have both been more fatal
than they usually are in May. An unusually large number of persons
have succumbed to phthisis and acute and chronic affections of the
chest; and a much larger number than usual of deaths of young infants
have been registered under the headings of "convulsions," "atrophy."
"inanition," and "premature birth." I cannot avoid suspecting that
there is some additional cause in operation, depressing vital power. I
am strengthened in this belief by observing, that not only has the
death-rate been larger than usual, but that the sickness has alsobeen nearly
as great as it was at the same season in the sickly year, 1863—far
higher than it should have been, in my observation, considering the
most important meteorological characters of the month.