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persons living, the lowest on record, being 22 per 1,000 below the
decennial average; 4'6 per 1,000 below the Metropolitan rate
(21.2); and 2.8 per 1,000 below the rate in England and Wales
(18.9). After making necessary corrections by distributing the
deaths at the parish infirmary and the Brompton hospital, the rate
of mortality in the Town sub-district was 17.7 per 1,000, and
in the Brompton sub-district 13.3 per 1,000. The death rate,
male sex, was approximately 20.2 per 1,000, as against 14.2 per
1,000 in the female sex. There died only 1,398 females out of a
population of 97,940, or 1 in 70, as against 1,328 males in a
population of 65,600, or 1 in 49.3. Taking the whole parish into
consideration, there was one death to every 59.9 persons living.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The deaths of young children always bear a high ratio to total
deaths; but in 1881 the ratio was lower than usual. The deaths
under five years, 1,067—162 below the number in 1880—were
equal to 39.2 per 1,000 deaths, and to 24.2 per cent. on registered
births. Under one year the deaths were 644—77 less than in
1880—equal to 23'6 per cent. on total deaths, and to 14'6 per
cent. on births. By way of comparison it may be stated that in
the Metropolis generally the deaths under five years were 41.1 and
25.1 per cent. respectively, on total deaths and registered births,
while the deaths under one year were 24.1 and 14'8 per cent. on
total deaths and registered births.
The deaths of illegitimate children under five years of age were
101—in 1880 only 85—equal to 51 per cent. on births registered
as illegitimate: all but 9 of them occurred in the Town subdistrict.
Of the 101 only 22 outlived the first year, and of these
twenty-two, 13 died in the second year. The causes of death
as registered were tubercular or scrofulous affections 33, viz., tabes
mesenterica, 10; marasmus and debility, 16; meningitis, 2; and
tuberculosis, 5; Convulsions, 13 (4 of the children were "found
dead in bed"): Zymotic diseases 18, viz., diarrhoea, 12; measles,
3; whooping cough, scarlet fever, and small pox, each 1: Bronchitis,
14; Syphilis, 3; Teething, 2; Premature birth, 6; Want of
breast milk, 4; suffocation (accidental), 2; wilful murder, 1;