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4
Tables giving the death-rates and the causes of death at various age periods in
Shoreditch and its eight wards, with other information bearing upon the mortality in
the Borough, are contained in the Appendix. (Tables I., II., IV., V., VI., VII.) The
death-rate varied within very considerable limits as a comparison of the rates in the
several wards will show. It was highest in Whitmore Ward and lowest in Moorfields,
being 24.1 per 1,000 in the former and 14.4 in the latter. The density of the population
per acre is very much greater in Whitmore than in Moorfields Ward, which doubtless
plays an important part in determining a higher rate of mortality in the former
locality.
The death-rate for the Borough was subject to considerable fluctuations during
the first quarter of the year, but on the whole was fairly low. During the second
quarter it was steadier, showing a gradual decline until the fourth week of June, when
the lowest point for the year was reached, the rate for that week being 11.6 per 1,000.
The rate ran up sharply after the first week of July, and in the fourth week reached
nearly 32 per 1,000. In the following week it dropped suddenly to 20, but in the
second week of August again ran up to 31. During the next five weeks it came down
to 14.8 per 1,000, and for seven weeks, from the middle of September until the end
of October the rate was steadily about 15 per 1,000. During the last fortnight of
November the rate went up sharply, touching the highest point for the year, 35 per
1,000, in the last week of the month. The rate came down as sharply as it went up,
and remained fairly low for the rest of the year. The high rate during July and
August resulted from the heavy mortality from summer diarrhoea, and that at the
latter end of November was largely due to a high mortality from diseases of the
respiratory organs.
The deaths of infants under the age of one year numbered 652, of which 352
were of males and 300 of females. The mortality amongst infants under one year
amounted to a little over 28 per cent. of the total mortality in the Borough. The
proportion of infants under one year dying during the year to the total number of
births belonging to Shoreditch registered during the same period was at the rate of
165 per 1,000, which is very considerably below the average for the previous twelve
years. The chief causes of death in infants under one year old were diarrhoea, enteritis,
and other disorders of the stomach and intestines, whooping cough, bronchitis, pneumonia,
tuberculous diseases, atrophy, debiiitv and marasmus, prematurity and congenital
defects, and suffocation in bed. In Table V. '(Appendix), which' is a form of
tabulation required for the first time during the year under review by the Local Government
Board, is contained a statement of the causes of deaths of infants under one
year, the ages in weeks and months being given for the whole Borough.
year, the ages in weeks and months being given for the whole Borough. In the subjoined
table the deaths from the same causes amongst infants under one year of age
are given for the eight wards of the Borough:—