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in 1869. The excessively high rate of death in 1871 was
caused by the small-pox epidemic, and in 1869 by the great
prevalence of scarlet fever. In 1860 the rate was but 168 per
1000 deaths, and was coincident with a low mean temperature
for the year, and a cold, wet summer. There is no doubt that
a cold, wet summer is favorable to health in London, not only
as regards ordinary epidemic diseases, but also the mortality
from all causes. The table shows that there were eight years in
which the mortality from epidemic diseases was below, and nine
in which it was above the mean of 212 per 1000 deaths from all
causes. This mean per-centage is rather high, but is not so
great as in all London. The deaths which are grouped
together under the heading of "diseases of uncertain seat,"
which includes syphilis, privation, gout, dropsy, cancer, and
mortification, varied between 41 and 60 per 1000 deaths from
all causes, the average being 48.
The next group is one of great importance, as it includes
scrofula, tubercular diseases of the brain, lungs, and bowels.
The mean number of deaths from these causes was 169 in each
1000—the highest number having been 200, and the lowest
147 in each 1000 deaths. The per-centage has been less of
late years, with the exception of 1867 and 1868, than in 1856
and 1857, which is very satisfactory when the change in the
condition of the population is taken into account. The high
rate in 1867-68 was, to a great extent, correlative to the very
small death rate from epidemic diseases.
Deaths from diseases of the nervous system shows a rather
high proportion, viz., 120 out of each 1000 deaths. The highest
number was 140 in 1859, and the lowest 106 in 1871. This
low rate in 1871 was caused by the excessive mortality from
small-pox, as the total number of deaths in 1871 from these