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for recent years, being 4,168 as compared with 3,527 in 1903, 3,403 in 1902, 3,883 in
1901, and 3,267 in 1900. An analysis of the cases is contained in Table VII (appendix).
The diseases classed as infectious were responsible for 685 of the cases, and included
212 of consumption, 116 of measles, 81 of diarrhoea, and 92 of influenza.
Diseases of the respiratory system, mainly the result of infection, accounted for 1,150
cases, including 1,037 of acute and chronic bronchitis, and 45 of pneumonia. Rheumatism
was the cause of trouble in 307 cases, and gout in 69 cases. Diseases of the
organs of digestion gave rise to 399 cases, a large proportion of which were dyspepsia.
Enteritis or gastro-enteritis afflicted some 73 infants. In 23 instances alcoholism was
recorded as the cause of illness. There is no doubt, however, that alcohol, directly or
indirectly, was the cause of a far greater amount of illness amongst the poor than is indicated
by this figure. The cases of cancer numbered 27 as compared with 30 in, 1903,
12 in 1902, 31 in 1901, 33 in 1900, 18 in 1889, 9 in 1898, 15 in 1897, 21 in 1896, 15 in
1895, 27 in 1894 and 23 in 1893. Diseases of locomotive system were the cause of trouble
in 192 cases and in 95 various forms of skin eruptions required treatment. Diseases of the
brain and nervous system gave rise to 177 and diseases of the circulatory system to 195
cases. In 137 cases the cause of trouble was old age. In 109 cases persons sought
relief on account of violence. In 434 cases the illnesses were described as debility,
marasmus and other causes not classified in the table.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The infectious diseases numbered 1 to 35 in Table V (appendix) resulted in 791
deaths as compared with 762 in 1903, 767 in 1902 and 762 in 1901. The deaths; from
these diseases were a little over 33 per cent. of the deaths from all causes. Nearly half
of these deaths were attributed to consumption and the other forms of tuberculosis, and
a large proportion of the remainder to infantile diarrhoea. The death-rate due to the
infectious diseases referred to above amounted to 6.8 per 1,000 inhabitants as compared
with 6.5 for last year.

Considerably more than half the deaths from infectious disease in the Borough
were of children under five years of age, and taking the total mortality of children under
five years from all causes 43 per cent. of the deaths resulted from infectious diseases,
mainly diarrhoea, tuberculosis, whooping cough and measles. After the 1 to 5 years
age period there is a rapid decline in the mortality from infectious diseases. Between
25 and 65 years the deaths become more numerous again, the increase being chiefly the
result of consumption.