View report page

102
or convulsions be returned, can be only guessed at when the
child has not been seen to die, for examination after death would
not disclose the pre-existence of spasm, during life, and there is no
pathological condition which would enable one to say positively
that a child had suffered, still less that it had died, from convulsions.
2. The second order comprises the Diseases of the Organs
of Special Sense (e.g., of ear, eye, nose), but no deaths were
assigned to these causes.
3. Circulatory System.—The deaths due to diseases of the
organs of circulation, heart and blood vessels, were 167, as
against 158 in 1881: 125 were registered in the Town sub-district,
and 42 in Brompton; 8 were of children under five years
of age. The quarterly numbers were 52, 31, 33 and 51. To
specified diseases, 34 deaths were assigned, viz., Pericarditis 2:
Acute endocarditis, 3; Valvular diseases of heart, 20; Aneurism, 4;
Embolism, Thrombosis, 5. Other diseases of heart, nature not
specified, account for no fewer than 131 of the deaths, and other
diseases of blood vessels for 2.
4. Respiratory System.—The deaths from the diseases of
the chest (phthisis being excluded) were 609 (91 more than in
1881), and 22.6 per cent. of total deaths. Of this number 494
were registered in the Town sub-district, and 115 in Brompton.
The quarterly numbers were 238, 122, 76 and 173: 411 in
the first and fourth, or colder quarters, and 198 in the second
and third, or warmer quarters. The deaths under five years of
age were 295, about 48 4 per cent., and at 55 and upwards 219,
or nearly 36 per cent. of the whole number. These diseases are
thus seen to be most fatal at the extremes of life ; but the
prevalence of them varies considerably in different years,
depending chiefly on the degree of cold in winter, and the
general character of that season; they are always most fatal when
with cold, fog, especially "London fog," is associated. The
diseases in this order comprises Laryngitis 4 deaths ; Croup
(transferred in the new classification from miasmatic diseases),
20 : Emphysema, Asthma, 13 ; Pleurisy, 14 ; Bronchitis, 38;