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31
The highest rates are those of St. James' Street, Hoe Street and
Wood Street Wards, but the Mortality in all the Wards is less than
in 1914—Higham Hill excepted, with a minimal increase.
The Hale End and Higham Hill Wards with a high general level
over ordnance datum, are still largely unbuilt on and are surrounded
by open country or the Forest—advantages not enjoyed to the same
extent by the other portions of the District—and may account for
their low Mortality rates.
St. James' Street with the highest rate lies from 18 to 50 feet
above sea level, is built over and inhabited largely by semi-skilled
or casual workers who have a constant struggle to keep over the
poverty line.
My remarks on page 15, as to the inhabitants and the conditions
in this Ward are emphasised in the proportionally greater number
dying from Tuberculosis, Respiratory and Heart Diseases, as
compared with the other Wards.
Hoe Street's high death-rate is accounted for by quite the reverse
conditions. The Ward has a large proportion of well-to-do people
living under favourable economic conditions tending to longevity.
This is attained, and the causes of death include those associated
with old age, namely Cancer, Senile Decay and diseases of the
Heart and circulating organs. Under the heading of Senile Mortality
it will be seen that over 27 in every 100 dying in this Ward
were over 75 years of age.
An unsatisfactory feature in the Mortality of this Ward, however,
is the excessive number of deaths in children under 1 year of age.
With the lowest birth-rate the Ward has the highest Infantile
Mortality rate.
One usually associates infant mortality with ignorance of the laws
of health and feeding and poor economic conditions, and yet with
100 more births, the poorer mothers of St. James' Street had to their
credit fewer deaths than their well-to-do sisters in Hoe Street.
The large number dying in Hoe Street from Prematurity and Convulsions
within the first month of life is significant and leads one to
think that Ante-natal conditions are more artificial in the one Ward
than in the other.