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16
decennial average. They included 13, 7, and 4 from whooping
cough, measles and diphtheria, and 2 from scarlet fever and
enteric fever respectively. The weather in this period continued
cold, but the state of public health was better than in
January (the improvement being greater in London, as a
whole, than in Kensington), the deaths of aged persons and
from chest diseases having fallen considerably. The mean
temperature of the air was 39º.1 and lº.5 below the decennial
average.
In the third four-weekly period (9th-12th weeks, February
27th to March 26th), the death rate rose to 20.9, the highest
recorded in the year, being 2.0 above the decennial average and
0.3 above the Metropolitan rate (20.6), which was 3.1 below
the average. The enhanced mortality was due to the prevalence
of low temperature and cutting winds, the effects of these
maleficent conditions being an increase of deaths from chest
diseases (81 against 63 in the previous four weeks), and
among the aged (83 at 60 and upwards against 74) and among
young children (101 under five against 89). The deaths from
the principal diseases of the zymotic class were 31 and 8 above
the average, including 16, 10, and 3 from measles, whooping
cough and diphtheria. The mean temperature was 36º.4 and
5º.4 below the average.
In the fourth period (13th-16th weeks, March 27th to
April 23rd), the death rate fell to 15.0 per 1,000, being 4.3
below the decennial average and 3.9 below the Metropolitan
rate (18.9), which was 4.6 below the average. The deaths
from the principal diseases of the zymotic class were 24, two
below the average, including 12 and 8 from measles and
whooping cough, and one each from diphtheria and enteric
fever. The deaths from the diseases of the respiratory
system were 54 only, against 81 in the previous four weeks;
whilst the deaths of children under five, and of persons at
60 and upwards, were 75 and 59 respectively, against 101
and 83. The mean temperature was 44°.4 and 0º.7 below the
average.