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resident adults, the proportion will be increased to 55 per cent.. Diarhœa, measles,
hooping cough, convulsions, mesenteric disease, bronchitis, and pneumonia, appear to
be the most powerful agencies for producing this great destruction of infant life. Of
47 inquests held on persons dying in this district, in 15, the verdict was, either
" found dead," or "natural death." There were 3 cases of suicide; one by hanging,
one by a musket shot, and one by poison (laudanum.) There were 2 cases of death
from the effects of burns and scalds, one of which was a child, aged 3 years, from
drinking water from a tea kettle. Among the cases of death from violence, is that of
a servant, aged 11 years, who accidentally fell from a window. I mention this as a
warning to heads of families, not to allow female servants to clean the outside of
windows, if there be any possibility of danger from falling, as such calamities are of
frequent occurrence. There is only one more case where an inquest was held, to which
I think it necessary to direct your attention. It is that of a woman, aged 63, who
resided at 43, Spicer Street, who was supposed to have died from "Exhaustion from
want of Food," having been neglected for more than two days. I have made enquiry
respecting this case, and learnt that "the woman was separated from her husband, and
was in full work as a weaveress"; she was not in destitute or distressed circumstances,
and her fellow lodgers heard her at work on the Saturday preceding her death. Her
room was entered on the Tuesday following, when she was found upon the floor alive,
and it was supposed she had fallen out of her loom while at work, apparently in a fit.
Ten cases of death were not certified by any medical practitioner, 5 of which
were in the Mile End New Town registration district. These cases relate principally
to children, and are registered in the columns—hooping cough, measles, diarrhœa,
debility, want of breast milk, and convulsions. There is one case, however, a male,
aged 43, registered in the Artillery district, as apoplexy; and another in the Goodman's
Fields district, as acute rheumatism.
The births during the past quarter were 604; and the deaths, excluding the
37 non-residents, 510; the increase, therefore, of births over deaths was 94; but as
it is probable that not all the births are registered, the increase may exceed that
amount. The increase of population in those districts, where new houses are continually
being built, is looked upon with satisfaction; but such cannot be the ease, in one
like the Whitechapel district, where almost every available space is already occupied
by buildings, and where the consequence of an increasing population must be to render
more unhealthy the already overcrowded houses. Not only are the houses in this district
becoming more and more crowded by the increase of the population, but the overcrowding
is increased by the displacements of the poor tenants who occupied the
several houses which have been taken down for the various improvements recently
made.
The Whitechapel District continues to afford evidence that it is not unfavorable
to longevity, 19 deaths being recorded of persons of 80 years of age and upwards. A
female, aged 94, died in the Union Workhouse, in which institution are also recorded
the deaths of two males and one female, each at the advanced age of 87 years.