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England in tlie year 1855, was 22 in a 1000 living, or 1 in 45 of the whole population.
The rate of mortality, therefore, in your district, is 2.4 in 1000 above that
of the whole of England, and on comparing the mortality in Whitechapel with the
mortality of all England, 201 persons have died in excess in your district during the
last year.
It is, perhaps, almost impossible to estimate correctly the number of inhabitants
in any large district, unless by actual enumeration ; but if the same annual progress
has been continued, viz.—1*1 per cent, since the last census in 1851, as occurred
from 1841 to 1851, the actual number of persons now residing in the Whitechapel
district, would be nearly 86,000, but as several houses have been taken down within
the last few years, and the registered lodging-houses are less crowded, I have estimated
the mortality as occurring in a population of 84,000.*
The total births for the year ending January 2nd, 1858, were 2868, and the
deaths, after deducting the non-residents, were 2051, which shows an increase of
817 of births over deaths, and, if the same proportion of births over deaths has been
maintained during the last six years, the population of this district will be about
the number above stated.
On referring to Table 14, it will be observed that during the six colder months,
the mortality arising from diseases of the respiratory organs, is nearly double that of
the other six months. This increased mortality is scarcely to be wondered at, when
we consider the extreme poverty of many of the inhabitants, and how unable they
are, from want of warm clothing, and from insufficiency of food and fuel, to resist
the action of cold. During the last quarter, the deaths of children, under five years
of age, from diseases of the respiratory organs, amounted to 84, or nearly a sixth
part of the total number of deaths. The deaths from zymotic diseases during the
last year, were 537, or about a fourth of the entire number of deaths, ten of which
were cases of cholera. 436 deaths occurred from the tubercular or scrofulous class
of diseases, in which is included consumption. 112 only are recorded as having died
of old age. 227 inquests were held, in 35 of which, the verdict was " found
dead," and in 32, "natural death." Stricture of the Urethra was fatal in 13
instances. As this is a disease generally attributable to Gonorrhoea, it will, for
the future, be classed among the Zymotic Diseases. 58 cases of death were
uncertified by any medical practitioner, among which, during the last quarter,
was a young man, aged 21, said to have died of "disease of the heart another
man, aged 66, registered as " sore throat and a third, a female, aged 9 weeks,
the daughter of an unmarried woman, was registered as "pneumonia." All such
cases probably are, as they undoubtedly ought to be, strictly enquired into by the
local registrars, for if deaths be registered in a lax manner, facilities will be afforded
for the commission of crime, and the security of the public will be endangered.
During the last quarter, four deaths from the effects of poison are recorded, but in
not one of these instances is the specific poison mentioned. Surely such an omission
might be easily supplied.
* The annual increase of the population in the metropolis is 2 per cent.