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The deaths of males exceeded those of females by 120. The death-rate for the year
was 22.1 per 1,000 inhabitants being, 0.7 below the average for the previous ten years.
The death-rate for London during 1901 was 17.6 per 1,000 and that of England
and Wales, 16.9. The death-rates of the male and female populations of Shoreditch
were 23.6 and 20.7 per 1,000 respectively. Tables shewing an analysis and comparison
of the death-rates, the age distribution, and the causes of death amongst males and
females are contained in the appendix see tables IV, V and VI.
The death-rate locally was highest in Shoreditch South and lowest in Hoxton
New Town. There was a sharp rise in the death-rate in the latter half of the month
of February owing to the prevalence of chest diseases. The rate was low in June,
but diarrhoea during the latter half of July and the beginning of August sent it up
again. The death-rate remained slightly below the average for the year during
September and October, but diseases of the chest caused rises during November
and December.
The deaths of infants under the age of one year numbered 812—of these 446 were
of males and 366 females. The chief causes of death were diarrhoea, tuberculosis in
its various forms, bronchitis, pneumonia, prematurity and debility at birth and
marasmus. Of 144 deaths ascribed to prematurity and debility at birth 89 were of
males and 55 females. Accident or negligence resulted in 39 deaths, of which 36
were attributed to suffocation in bed. Deaths of infants under one year formed 31.2
per cent. of the total number of deaths. The infant mortality, or the number of deaths
of infants under one year per the number of births which occurred during the year,
was 201. The infant mortality for the Metropolis was 149. As has been pointed
out in previous reports Shoreditch has a high infant mortality such as is usually to be
met with in densely populated working-class districts.
The deaths of children aged 1 to 5 years numbered 366. The chief causes of
death during this age period were measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough,, diphtheria,