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16
class of diseases, by the Surrey County Lunatic Asylum,
Diseases of the Zymotic class (Epidemic, Contagious) stand
first in the order of fatality, forming upwards of 17 per
cent. of all deaths : next follows the Tubercular class,
(which includes Scrofula and Consumption) forming nearly
16 per cent., Consumption alone contributing nearly 9 per
cent., and being, as usual, the most fatal single disease.
Diseases of the Respiratory organs, exclusive of Consumption,
formed 11 per cent. Diseases of the Digestive organs
contributed upwards of 6 per cent., and Disease of the
Heart, 5 per cent. of all deaths; none of these classes, nor
those remaining in the table, exhibit any noteworthy
variation from the average, except the Zymotic, which is
in excess.
Age at Death.—The most noticeable thing in the table
is the very great preponderance of infant mortality, upwards
of 30 per cent. of all deaths occurring during the
first year of life. This amount is 13 per cent. above the
average of the preceding ten years, and the excess is seen
to have resulted from a greater amount of diseases of the
Zymotic class. 41 per cent. occurred under the age of 5
years, and upwards of 48 per cent. under 20 years of age.
Of those dying at the other extreme of life, there were 26
between 70 and 80, 11 between 80 and 90, and 4 attained
the high ages of 92, 95, 97, and 98 years respectively. The
last was a woman who was born in and always lived in
this parish, and she retained the use of all her faculties
to the last. Her age was verified by the church register,
and her son is now living, aged 74.
Social Position.—Upwards of 80 per cent. of all deaths,
and 8.9 per cent. of the deaths from Epidemic diseases,
occurred amongst the labouring classes. It is not possible
to ascertain by present means the relative numerical proportion
of the different classes of the population of this
locality, but the relative proportion which the infant mortality
of the labouring classes bears to that of the other
classes may be approximately estimated. Let it be assumed
for the sake of a safe argument, that all classes
suffered the same relative amount of mortality; then as