View report page

36
more than one third (actually 406), occurred under five years of
age. The deaths in this class in 1876 were 1,216.
Order 1. Nervous System.— The diseases of the nervous system
caused 288 deaths (one more than in I 876, and two more than in
1875), viz., 238 in the Town sub-district, and 50 in Brompton;
104 of them took place under five years of age. The several diseases
were fatal as follows:-Cephalitis (inflammation of the
structure of the brain) 2, Apoplexy 68 (51 and 17 in the Town and
Brompton sub-districts respectively), Paralysis 40 (eight only in
Brompton), Insanity and Chorea (St. Vitus's Dance) 1 each,
Epilepsy 8 (Brompton 2), "Brain Disease" 75 (only 9 in Brompton),
and "Convulsions"—a symptom of many diseases rather than
a disease—93 (Brompton 14.) Of the 93 deaths attributed to
convulsions all but one occurred under five years of age, and 68
under one year.
Apoplexy and Paralysis—diseases of the later periods of life
—were the causes of seven deaths under 35 years of age; seven
between 35 and 45; and 20, 27, 26, and 19 in the next four
decades; two deaths from apoplexy occurred between 85 and 95.
Order 2. Organs of Circulation.— Total deaths 140—none
below five years of age, and 27 only in Brompton. The fatal
diseases were Pericarditis 1, Aneurism 5, and "Heart Disease"
134, viz., 108 and 26 in the Town and Brompton sub-districts
respectively. Ten of the deaths took place between 5 and 35
years. In five decades above 35 years the deaths were 19, 19,
29, 39, and 16 respectively. Two deaths from heart disease
occurred between 85 and 95.
Order 3. Kespiratory Organs.- The deaths from the diseases
of the organs of respiration were 538 (44 less than in 1876), 453
in the Town sub-district, 85 in Brompton, and 274 under five years
of age. The quarterly numbers were 170, 150, 57, 161. The
deaths due to the several diseases were Laryngitis and Spasm of the
Glottis, 6 each, Bronchitis 290 (Town 245, Brompton 45), Pleurisy
9, Pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) 177 (Town 148, Brompton
29), Asthma 6, and Lung Disease, &c., 43. Of the deaths
from bronchitis and pneumonia respectively, 138 and 98 occurred
under five years of age; 129 and 37 above 55. Between 5 and
55 the deaths from bronchitis and pneumonia were 23 and
42. These numbers correspond with the averages of former
years; chest diseases being most fatal at the earlier and the latest
stages of human life, their prevalence moreover, being most marked
in the winter months. The deaths from all the diseases in this
order, which were 170 and 164 in the first and fourth or winter
quarters = J34, were only 150 and 57 = 207, in the second and
third or summer quarters.
Order 4. Digestive Organs.—The diseases of the organs
chiefly concerned in the process of digestion, were accountable