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4
The Whitechapel District has a mortality at the rate of 24.3 per
1000 per annum, whilst that for London is at the apparent rate of
20.9 per 1000 per annum. The London real death-rate could be
arrived at only by adding the deaths of those residents who, dying
outside registration London, are not included in the figures upon
which the death-rate above-mentioned is based. Nearly 80 such
deaths were registered outside registration London as having died
from small-pox at the various Metropolitan Asylums Hospitals. The
London zymotic death-rate is, of course, also materially affected in
the same manner. In alluding to the Whitechapel zymotic deathrate
(7.3 per 1000 per annum), I am anxious to explain that this
increase over last quarter is due solely to the deaths of 76 infants
from diarrhoea, a disease due not to zymotic causes, but to inability
to assimilate food, even when such food be administered properly.
The doubt implied is due to the knowledge that such deaths are most
frequent amongst the poorer classes. If, therefore, we remove
these 76 deaths to the class of " diseases of the digestive system,"
to which they more properly belong, our death-rate from zymotic
diseases would be thereby reduced to less than 3 per 1000 per
annum.
The only other deaths from diarrhoea were, 3 between the ages
of 5 and 20, and 2 above the latter age.
Infant Mortality.—During the quarter, those infants who died
in London under the age of 1 year, equalled 34.8 per cent, of the total
deaths, and 22.2 per cent, of the registered births. The deaths of
children under 5 years of age, including the above, equalled 50.7
per cent, of the total deaths, and 32.4 per cent, of the registered
births. In the Whitechapel District, the infants who died under 1
year old, equalled 35.2 per cent, of the total deaths, and 26.0 per
cent, of the registered births ; whilst the deaths of children under
the age of 5, including the above, equalled 56.0 per cent, of the
total deaths, and 41.3 per cent, of the registered births.
Pauper Illness.—The last columns of Table D set out in detail
the 300 cases of illness which were attended throughout by the
District Medical Officers, and also those cases which were under
treatment in the Union Infirmary.
The Relieving Officers issued a total of 727 Medical Orders, of
which number 427 were for admission to special hospitals, or into the
Union Infirmary. As these cases are accounted for in the Union
column, I have not included them in the preceding one.