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67
PUTNEY & ROEHAMPTON.
The health of this sub-district, during the year 1884, judged
by the statistics which will be afterwards given, has been
exceptionally good, and this notwithstanding the fact that
diphtheria had not entirely disappeared during the earlier
part of the year. 1 he accidental prominence which that
disease gave to our mortality during the previous year, has
been more than compensated for, by the very low zymotic
mortality of the present year.
Population.—At the middle of 1884 the population of this
sub-district may be estimated at 14,450. This is obtained by
adding three years and a quarter's increase to the ascertained
population at the census of April 4th, 1881; but as this
increase is calculated upon the rate of growth, which prevailed
during the ten years preceding the census, the estimate
based upon it, is probably too low, the discrepancy becoming
greater in a progressive district such as this year by year.
Births and Birth-rate.—The number of children born in the
sub-district during 1884 was 367,—181 males and 186 females.
The birth-rate was 25.3 per 1,000, a rate rather below the
average for this district, and no less than 8.5 per 1,000 less
than the birth-rate of London, and 9.3 less than the birthrate
for the twenty-eight largest towns of England. This
low birth-rate is always found in districts inhabited by the
wealthier classes, and goes to prove that luxury is inimical
to increase of population.