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3 deaths of children under live yaars of age, who were " found
dead in bed." The name of the disease, as a cause of death, has
little more meaning than "want of breath; and, indeed, want of
breath is the cause of death from spasm of the glottis. In the
absence of other apparent cause of death, the pre-existence of
spasm of the glottis may have been inferred, but it is quite possible,
to say the least of it, that some of the children had been " overlaid,"
i.e., suffocated—a remark equally applicable to deaths attributed
to convulsions, when the deceased persons had been found " dead
in bed." The cause of death in such cases— whether spasm of
the glottis 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 occurrence of spasm dining 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 op the Organs
op Special Sense (e.g., of Ear, Eye, Nose); four deaths were
classified to these causes.
3. Circulatory System.—The deaths due to diseases of
the organs of circulation, heart and blood vessels, were 196, as
against 179 in 1883 ; 145 were registered in the Town sub-district,
and 51 in Brompton. The quarterly numbers were 41, 62, 46
and 47. To specified forms of disease 47 deaths were assigned,
viz., Pericarditis 6 ; Acute Endocarditis 5; Valvular Diseases of
Heart 27 ; Aneurism 7; Embolism and Thrombosis 2. Other
Diseases of Heart, nature not specified, caused 141 deaths. Other
Diseases of Blood Vessels were the causes of 8 deaths.
4. Respiratory System.— The deaths from the diseases of
the chest, phthisis being excluded, were 525, 60 fewer than in
1883, and equal to 19.8 per cent, on total deaths. Of this
number 416 were registered in the Town sub-district, and 109 in
Brompton. The quarterly numbers were 173, 123, 49, and 180;
353 in the first and fourth, or colder quarters, and 172 in the
second and third, or warmer quarters. The deaths under five
years of age were 250 = 47.7 per cent., and at 55 and upwards