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48
tered in the Town sub-district and 18 in Brompton, and they occurred
in the four quarters respectively as follows:—24, 18, 18,
and 9. The great majority of these cases occur late in life. Between
15 and 45 years of age, there were 12 deaths; 45 to 55,
12; 55 to 65, 26, and 9 at ages above 65. The parts principally
affected by this disease or constitutional taint, are the viscera or
internal organs : very commonly the uterus in females.
Order 2. Tubercular.—The diseases in this important order
were the registered causes of 47 2 deaths, viz., 391 in the Town
sub-district, and 81 in Brompton. The deaths occurred in the
four quarters respectively in the following numbers:—121, 128,
128, and 95—216 in the winter, and 256 in the summer quarters.
Some little care has been required in locating the deaths as registered
under the correct headings, it being for example not uncommon
to find " phthisis " returned as the cause of death in the
earliest infancy, whereas it is well known that scrofulous disease
as a rule manifests its presence in other parts and organs than
the lungs at this early stage of existence. Such cases, therefore,
have been grouped under the head Scrofula and Tuberculosis : the
deaths from which were 50 (41 in the Town sub-district and 9 in
Brompton). Tabes mesenterica, consumption of the bowels, as it is
sometimes popularly called, was the cause of 50 deaths (46 in the
Town sub-district). Of the 100 deaths due to these varieties of
tubercular disease. 41 occurred in the first year of life, and 27 in
the second year. Hydrocephalus (water on the brain,) and Tubercular
meningitis caused 79 deaths, 66 in the Town sub-district and
13 in Brompton. Phthisis was returned in 293 cases irrespective
of the Brompton Consumption Hospital, the subject of remark
elsewhere. Of these 293 deaths, 238 were registered in the Town
sub-district, and 55 in Brompton. The quarterly numbers were
79, 79, 72, and 63 respectively. Eight of the deaths took place
in persons below 15 years of age ; between 15 and 25 there were
52 deaths; 25 to 35, 93 ; 35 to 45, 59; 45 to 55, 54 ; 55 to 65,
22; and 5 above 65.
LOCAL DISEASES.
The diseases grouped in this great class, caused 1,216 deaths,
one less than in the previous year.
Order 1. Nervous System.—The diseases of the nervous
system were accountable for 287 deaths (number in 1875, 285),
viz., 223 in the Town sub-district and 64 in Brompton. Cephalitis
(inflammation of the substance of the brain) was returned in 15
cases. Brain Disease in 80, (8 only in Brompton). Insanity was
the registered cause of death in two cases, and Epilepsy in 9, one
of these only taking place in Brompton. The remaining diseases
are Apoplexy and Paralysis, which for the most part belong to the