View report page

The central group of districts had the highest phthisis death rate during the year 1901,
viz., 2.40 per 1,000 living, and the western group of districts the lowest (l.47). Among the
several metropolitan boroughs the death rate was highest in Holborn (2.81), and the lowest in
Lewisham (0.90). The phthisis death rates in London in the four quarters of the year 1901 were
as follows: First quarter, 1.78; second quarter, 1.57; third quarter, 1.47, and fourth quarter, 1.77
per 1,000 living.
The following table shows the number of deaths from phthisis at several age periods in
each of the metropolitan boroughs. For the purposes of this table deaths occurring in public
institutions belonging to London have been distributed to the sanitary areas in which the
deceased had previously resided. (See footnote (1), page 9.)

The discovery of the fact that tubercular disease is caused by a bacillus has inevitably
led to endeavour to apply to this disease measures which have been employed for the limitation
of maladies which have long been recognised to be communicable from person to person. Before
this discovery, however, it was known that amelioration of the conditions of life, and especially
the improvement of the air space within the dwelling, tended to reduce mortality from phthisis.
1 See footnote (1), page 9.