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seat—as dropsy; 81 by tubercular affections; 52 by diseases of the brain
and spinal cord; 16 from affections of the heart; 23 only from diseases of
the lungs—exclusive of consumption; 25 from diseases of the stomach;
12 from renal affections; 19 from premature birth and debility; 23 from
old age; and 17 were from violence, or were sudden.
There were 612 births against 426 deaths; so that, exclusive of
immigration, the increase of the inhabitants of the District was 186. Of
the 612 births, 306 were of males, and precisely the same number of
females; whilst of the 426 deaths, 200 were of males, and no less than
226 were of females. Of the 612 births, 35 were registered in Stoke
Newington; 33 in Stamford Hill; 185 in West Hackney; 229 in
Hackney; and 130 in South Hackney. Of the 426 deaths, 33 occurred
in Stoke Newington; 18 only in Stamford Hill; 126 in West Hackney;
179 in Hackney; and 70 in South Hackney sub-districts. Of the
426 deaths, 43 happened in the East London Union or German Hospital;
so that the real mortality for the Hackney sub-district was only 136,
instead of 179.
I have also to report that there have been as many as 12 deaths during
the quarter in Albert Street, Brook Street, and Victoria Street; of these
no fewer than 6, being one-half, were under 1 year old. I propose in my
Annual Report to ascertain the rate of death in these streets during the
year, as it will show the influence of poverty and bad drainage in
producing an unnecessary number of deaths. Of the 12 deaths in these
streets, 1 was occasioned by fever, 1 by remittent fever, 1 by stomatitis
or ulceration of the mouth and chest, 3 by diarrhoea, 1 by convulsions, 1
by water in the brain, 1 by atrophy, 1 by peritonitis, 1 by cancer, and 1
from a stone in the gall-bladder and diseased liver. From this analysis
we find that the majority of the deaths were caused by diseases which
are aggravated, and in many instances caused by want of proper food and
by filth.
One great cause for congratulation is the continued decrease in the
fever cases which have occurred throughout the whole District. There
have been occasionally a few cases, as at Homerton, from certain local
circumstances which it has been difficult to remove, but the testimony of
the medical practitioners as well as of the death registers, certainly shows
that the disease is being gradually reduced in intensity and frequency.
I do not believe that sanitary arrangements, however perfect, will entirely
prevent the occurrence of typhoid fever, far less of typhus, but I do expect
that the annual proportion of deaths from these diseases will be gradually
and steadily reduced.