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materially diminished the proportion of children under five in the
total population. Had the birth-rate in the successive five years,
1882-86, been equal to the birth-rate in the ten years 1871-80,
there would have been, as nearly as can be estimated, some
50,000 more children under five living in 1886 ; and as the mortality
in this first life-period is high, the general death-rate would
have been raised, and at a rough estimate would have been about
20.4, instead of being, as it was, 19'9. It would still, therefore,
have been exceptionally low."
The Registrar-General, as usual, has prepared a table shewing
diminution or excess of deaths in 1889, compared with annual
deaths in 1879-88, corrected for increase of population, from
which we learn that there was a marked diminution in the
number of deaths from small-pox (712), measles (278), scarlet
fever (1103), whooping-cough (1406), "fever" (405), and
diarrhoeal diseases (625). There was a diminution also in deaths,
among other causes, from phthisis and tubercular diseases (1920),
diseases of nervous system (1370), diseases of respiratory system,
including croup (4376), and " all other causes " (2525); the total
diminution being 14,720. On the other hand, there was an excess
under several heads—viz., diphtheria (656), cancer (222), premature
birth (108), diseases of circulatory system (510). The excess
(1496) being deducted from the diminution, a balance of diminution
and excess shews a net diminution of 13,224. In other
words, there was a net gain in the year of 13,22 A lives : "that is to
say, had the death-rate been equal to the average rate in the ten
preceding years, 13,224 more persons would have died in London
in the year 1889 than was actually the case." This saving of
life was very unequally distributed among the several causes,
and there are four headings under which, as we have seen, the
mortality was in excess, viz., diphtheria, cancer, premature
birth and diseases of the circulatory organs. These headings
have shewn similar excess in each of the preceding six years.
Similarly with regard to the diseases which shew diminished
mortalities: here, also most of the changes are not peculiar to
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