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Mortality of Young Children.
The mortality of children under five years of age was 274. This is 50.2
per cent. of the total mortality. In the corresponding quarter of the previous
year the rate of mortality of children under 5 was 46.9 per cent. of the total
mortality. In the Artillery sub-district the rate is 53.1 per cent.; in the
Spitalfields, 50.5 per cent.; in the Mile End New Town, 44'2 per cent.; in
the Whitechapel North, 55.4 per cent.; in the Whitechapel Church, 16.5
per cent.; in the Goodman's Fields, 53.3 per cent.; and in the Aldgate, 66.1
per cent.
Pauper Illness in the District.
The Medical Officers of the Union have attended, during the quarter,
939 new cases of illness out of the Workhouse; including 5 of measles,
91 of scarlet-fever, 2 of hooping-cough, 104 of diarrhoea, 79 of febricula,
42 of fever, and 5 of erysipelas. In the corresponding quarter of the
previous year the number of pauper cases of illness was 1110; including
24 of measles, 10 of scarlet-fever, 13 of hooping-cough, l60 of diarrhoea,
79 of febricula, 45 of fever, 2 of choleraic-diarrhœa, and 5 of erysipelas.
The total number of cases of illness in the Workhouse has been 571;
including 2 of measles, 32 of diarrhoea, 31 of febricula, 1 of fever, 51 of
rheumatic-fever, and 7 of erysipelas. In the corresponding quarter of the
previous year the total number of cases in the Workhouse was 554 ;
including 2 of fever, 48 of diarrhoea, 12 of hooping-cough, 28 of febricula,
1 of carbuncle, 49 of rheumatic-fever, and 10 of erysipelas.
Tables of Mortality and Sickness.
On referring to the tables of mortality and sickness, in the Appendix,
it will be seen that scarlet-fever, fever (consisting of cases of typhus, enteric,
and continued fever), and diarrhoea, have been the most prevalent. There
have been also recorded in the books of the medical officers of the Union
nine cases of lead poisoning, a disease which of late years has been very
prevalent. Although I have instituted inquiries in nearly every case of lead
poisoning which has occurred in this district, which had been attended by
the medical officers, I have not been able satisfactorily to account for it. At
all events, I have been unable in all cases to trace its origin to the patient
working in a lead factory. Although this painful disease is fortunately not
very frequently fatal, it would be most desirable for the public good that
every medical practitioner, who has a case of this disease under his care,
should trace it, if possible, to its cause, and communicate the result of his
experience to the public press. By this means it is probable that the frequency
of lead colic may be diminished.
Meteoeology of Geeenwich.
The Returns of the Registrar-General show that the rain-fall in the
Metropolis during the quarter has been 6.72 inches, During the