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32
It will be observed by the above table that 63 persons
died in the Union Infirmary, 102 in the general hospitals
of the Metropolis, including the County and other
lunatic asylums, and that 12 deaths occurred in the
Hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board amongst
the persons removed thither during the year for infectious
diseases.
Ages at Under one year of age, 427 deaths took place,
Death- being 37-8 per cent. of the total mortality. Between
one and five years of age, 245 deaths were recorded,
being equal to 2l.7 per cent. In all 672 deaths
under five years of age were registered, being equal to
59.5 per cent. of the total mortality. Last year this was
564, and in 1884 the high per centage of 65.4 was
reached. The average rate of deaths under five years
has been for many years about 60 per cent. of the total
number of deaths at all ages, and is an invariable accompaniment
of a high birth rate, such as occurs in this
sub-district which, like all others more recently inhabited,
contains a young and vigorous population of child-producing
age, in contrast to districts such as Kensington,
with a birth rate of 22.6, and a death rate of 14.9; St.
George's, Hanover Square, birth rate 20, death rate,
17.5; St. James'. Westminster, birth rate, 19.4, death
rate, 19.3; and Hampstead, birth rate 24.7, and death
rate 14.3. It will be seen that the death rate of the
sub-district compares favourably with some of these
favoured localities; but to place our mortality in a more
equitable aspect it is well to refer to some other Metropolitan
districts with large birth rates and deaths in
proportion. Thus in St. Giles's the birth rate is 31.2,
and the death rate 25.6; Bethnal Green 40.1 and 28.5;
Whitechapel 37.2, and 28.9; and St. George's-in-theEast
39.2 births and 29.8 deaths per thousand. Now
the birth rate for the sub-district as shewn in Table I.