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almost an immunity from death, only 32 being registered.
One hundred and ten persons had reached over 60, and
29 over 80 years, the three oldest being females, aged
respectively 92, 89, and 88, making a total of 142 of the
gross number of deaths: 644 who had attained the age of
60 years and upwards, 46 of whom were registered as
having succumbed purely to old age. Thus we find the
two extremes of life—i.e., below 5 and above 60—yielding
two-thirds the entire number of deaths. This fact is extremely
satisfactory as regards the aged, but is not so
with reference to the infantile portion of the population;
and this, I think may, in a great measure, be accounted
for by the manner in which many of these infants are
brought up—viz., by hand, spoon or bottle-feeding, the
mothers going out to work and the children being placed
with some person who, for a small remuneration, takes
charge of them for the day, during which time they are
fed on food, unsuitable both in quantity and quality,
irritation of the bowels, diarrhoea, and convulsions following
as almost a natural consequence; and it is thus these
hand-reared infants gradually waste and die. These remarks
apply with greater force to infants who are entirely
placed out to nurse, and which are generally illegitimate.
I trust the Infant Life Protection Act will be successful
in extending its influence to these little ones, who are
powerless to protect themselves.
The following table gives information as to the diseases,
&c., the ages, sex and social position of those who died in
this Sub-district during the year, including all who succumbed
in the Infirmary.