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22
Seasonal Mortality.—The highest mortality occurred
during the first and last quarters of the year, the death-rates
from all causes being 14.8 and 10.0 per 1,000 respectively. The
lowest death-rate was 9.0 for the third quarter.
Chart A shows deaths from all causes recorded weekly
and the seasonal effect with regard to Infantile Diarrhoea and
diseases of the Respiratory Group.
Table 10 gives the total deaths in 12 classes registered in
each quarter, from which it will be seen that deaths from
diseases of the respiratory organs and infective diseases were
the highest during the first quarter of the year.
ZYMOTIC DEATH RATE.
The Zymotic death rate is calculated upon the total
deaths occurring at all ages from the principal infectious diseases,
viz.:—Small-Pox, Measles, Diphtheria, Scarlet, Typhus
and Typhoid Fevers, Whooping Cough, Dysentery, Epidemic
Diarrhoea and Epidemic Enteritis.
For the year under review, the zymotic death rate for
Lewisham amounted to 1.14 per 1,000 persons, showing an
increase of 0.48 over that of the previous year. This increase
in the zymotic death rate is due not only to an increase of
Measles, Diphtheria and Epidemic Diarrhœa and Enteritis, but
to these diseases assuming a more fatal form. The deaths from
Measles in 1907 amounted to 17, compared with 47 in 1908,
Diphtheria 17, compared with 44, and Epidemic Diarrhoea and
Enteritis 10, compared with 48.