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50
Ages at death.—53 per cent. of the total deaths occurred at
various ages below 20 years, 33 per cent. being under 1 year,
and 14.3 per cent. between 1 and 5 years. An enormous loss
of life is involved in these figures, of which a large proportion
at least is preventible. One-fourth of the deaths under the
age of 20 resulted from zymotic diseases; over one-sixth from
respiratory diseases, and one-eight from tubercular diseases;
all of which are to a large extent under the control of parents
and guardians.
The increased study of the laws of physiology and health in
our public schools will probably lead to a great diminution
of this premature mortality.
The Infantile death.rate, i.e., the proportion of deaths of
infants in the first year of life to registered births was 160
per 1,000, as compared with 147 per 1,000 in all England and
Wales, and 155 for the whole of London. Some of the causes
of infantile mortality have been alluded to in the last section,
but a very important one must be added—improper feeding.
The substitution of farinaceous foods for the natural food of
infancy is largely responsible for this destruction of children,
either by directly exciting diarrhoea, &c., or by leading to a
condition of mal-nutrition, which renders the infant incompetent
to resist successfully the inclemency of winter and early
spring, or the onset of infectious disease.
Senile Mortality.—The number of deaths of persons over 60
years was 23.6 per cent. of the total deaths, as compared with
19.7 per cent. in the previous year. On the other hand 23.5
per cent. of the total deaths occurred between 20 and 60 years
of age, as compared with 26.4 per cent. in the previous year.
The increased senile mortality and the diminished mortality
during what are presumably the most useful years of
man's life, are both favourable indications of the health of
this sub-district.