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7
The deaths of children under live years of age, including the above, were
lor London equal to 39 8 per cent. of the total deaths, and 24.1 percent. of
the registered births; and for the Whitechapel District they were equal to
44.2 per cent. of the total deaths, and 22.1 per cent. of the registered
births.
For comparison purposes I have extracted a small table from the Registrar-General's
Returns. It will be seen that in a matter which indicates
generally the health of a District, the Whitechapel District occupies a good
position.

Table I* has been introduced to enable one readily to contrast the mortality
per cent. from each class of disease to total deaths, as regards both
the Whitechapel District and the Metropolis as a whole.
The figures in this Table are very similar (so far as indifferences between
the columns) to last year's figures. Again the Zymotic percentage for the
Metropolis has diminished, being 2.54 less than for 1896, and again the
Whitechapel District Zymotic percentage has diminished by 1.39.
As usual, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, Diphtheria and
Diarrhoea, account for the vast majority of deaths in the Zymotic class of
diseases : 149 deaths were registered from the five diseases named, out of a
total of 188 belonging to the Zymotic class.
Small-pox has been altogether absent from the Whitechapel District
during the year. In the whole of London 17 deaths were registered from
the disease, of which number 5 were known to have been vaccinated. In
all the hospitals 90 cases of Small-pox received treatment.
During the year, the Report of the Royal Commission upon Vaccination
was completed. The evidence which accompanies the Report affords overwhelming
testimony to the value of vaccination as affording protection
against Small-pox. Without having regard to the many silly objections
raised by members of the Anti-Vaccination League against the operation, it
appears generally that the opposition is either on account of the compulsory
law, or because in Public Vaccination humanized lymph is most frequently
used. Probably, early in the Session, some legislation will take place to
exehange for some of the present regulations, others of a less drastic kind.
In the meantime I would warn persons who wish to be protected from so
awful a disease as Small-pox, to inquire into the advantages of vaccination
for themselves, and not to believe persons who, for other reasons than those
of public policy, make statements which are often altogether at variance
with truth.
* Page 28.