View report page

23
Syphilis nominally caused 12 deaths—a number we may well
believe below the actual mortality from this Protean disease.
Constitutional Diseases.— Cancer was the cause of 67 deaths,
viz., 51 in the Town and 16 in Brompton. Fifty.four of the
deaths took place between the ages of 45 and 75.
The Tubercular Diseases caused 408 deaths, viz., 325 in the
Town and 73 in Brompton. Scrofula was the registered disease
in 27 cases, Tabes mesenteric,a in 53, Phthisis in 245, and Hydrocephalus
or Meningitis in 82 cases. The numbers of deaths in the
several quarters were—1st, 113; 2nd, 104; 3rd, 88; and 4th,
103:—216 in the winter and 192 in the summer quarters. One
hundred and fifty.seven of the deaths were those of children
under the age of five years. This mortality is exclusive of those
brain affections, Convulsions, &c., and those diseases called developmental
which, under the names of Atrophy and Premature
birth, are nearly allied to the tubercular diseases specially
so.called.
Local Diseases.—The diseases of the nervous system were
fatal in 256 cases, viz., 199 in the Town and 57 in Brompton.
Eighty.five of the deaths occurred under five years of age.
Apoplexy was fatal in 64 cases, Paralysis in 47, Epilepsy in 13,
Convulsions in 59, and Brain disease in 62. Apoplexy and Paralysis
are diseases of old age; Convulsions, as a rule, of infancy.
The deaths from this order of diseases were very equally spread
over the whole year, the quarterly numbers being 66, 63, 61, and
66 respectively.
The Diseases of the Organs of Circulation caused 149
deaths, viz., in the Town district 115, and in Brompton 34.
Nine only of these deaths occnrred under the age of five years.
Pericarditis was the registered cause in 5 cases, Aneurism in 7,
and " Heart disease " in the remainder, 137.
Diseases of the Respiratory Organs.—The deaths from
this important order of diseases were 554, viz., 462 in the Town
sub.district, and 92 in Brompton. Under five years of age the
deaths were 244. The mortality from these affections is greatly
influenced by season, more deaths occurring in winter than in
summer, and a higher mortality prevailing in proportion as the
winter is severe. These facts are illustrated by the subjoined
figures, which show the mortality to have been in the four
quarters of the year respectively 189, 80, 58, and 227. Thus in
the winter quarters the deaths were 416, and in the summer
quarters only 138. The deaths in the summer quarters of
1874 were seven less than in 1873; but there was an excess of
7 8 in the winter quarters of the former year, due to the long.
continued cold weather that prevailed in the latter months.
The several diseases of this order were the registered
causes of death as follows:—Laryngitis 6, Bronchitis 300,
Pleurisy 10, Pneumonia 176, Asthma 12, and Lung disease 41.
The increased fatality of Bronchitis and Pneumonia helps to explain
the higher mortality of 1874 as compared with 1873.