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14
the population in the interval between each census, but, for all practical
purposes, the tables as published by the Registrar-General may be relied
on. If, however, we merely take the death-rate for the whole of London
for the last forty-six years, we canuot say that it has materially diminished;
and, taken by itself without explanation, would not exhibit a very satisfactory
result for the great cost incurred in carrying out the sanitary
improvements in the Metropolis.
I may observe that the death-rate in the years 1849, 1854, and 1866,
was materially increased by the epidemics of cholera.
Although, as before stated, no very great improvement has taken place
in the death-rate of London taken as a whole, yet, it will be found that the
death-rate of the densely crowded localities has decreased; while, as might
reasonably be expected, the death-rate in those districts which, thirty or
forty years ago were sparsely populated, is increased—it being a well
ascertained fact that, cœteris paribus, the death-rate increases with the
density of the population; and that epidemics, especially fevers, generated
in crowded dwellings, spread among the whole population.
By way of illustration of the increase of the death-rate in some of the
Districts iu London, where the population has vastly increased, I may
adduce the Districts of Islington and Hackney. The population of Islington
in 1831 was only 37,316, and that of Hackney, 34,527; the death-rate
in the former, according to the returns of the Registrar-General for 1838,
was 21.0 per 1000, and in 1839, 17.8 per 1000; and in the latter for the
same years, 17.8 and 16.7 per 1000; while in the Whitechapel District,
the rate of mortality in 1838 was 44.2, and iu 1839, 35.2 per 1000. In
the year 1876, the rate of mortality in Islington* was 23.lt per 1000, and
in Hackney, 24.8 per 1000. As the population in both these districts has
undoubtedly increased since the census of 1871, when the population in
Islington was 213,778, but was, as estimated by Dr. Tidy in the middle
of the year 1875, 244,680, and in Hackney in 1871 it was 124,951, the
rate of mortality will be now somewhat less than that just stated. The rate of
mortality will be still further reduced by abstracting from the total deaths
those of non-residents in the hospitals, situated within the respective
districts. In the Whitechapel District, according to the same returns, the
death-rate in 1876 was 30.6 per 1000. In my annual report for 1876, in
which I have deducted the deaths of non-residents in the London Hospital,
the rate of mortality is 23.9 per 1000.
Prom the above returns it appears that while the densely populated
District of Whiteshapel has had a diminished rate of mortality since 1838
of 13.6 per 1000, Islington shows an increase of 2.1 per 1000, and Hackney
of 7.0 per 1000. But as the year 1838 was an exceptional year, (the
rate of mortality for the whole of London being greatly in excess, the same
* See Annual Summary of Births and Deaths in London, 1876, p. XXIV and XXV.
† Dr. Tidy states, in his report for 1875, that the death, rate for that year in Islington
was 19.02 per 1000.