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years 1S71 it has reached the sum of 2869; as many as 3392
having been registered in 1878, or about 3½ times as many as in
1841-51. This alteration in the relation between the birth and
death-rates has not arisen from a reduction in the death-rate, as
in 1841-51 this was 19.18, and in the eight years 1871-8 it was
19.9, but from a considerable alteration in the social condition of
the inhabitants, as there are now a much larger proportion of
married people, and proportionately fewer servants than in
1841-51. This increase from 19.18 to 19.9 is much smaller
than might have been expected, and has no doubt been kept
down by the removal of nuisances, and other sanitary works which
have been carried out ever since this Board was formed under
the provisions of the Metropolis Local Management Act. The
proportion of inhabitants who have died from infectious diseases
has increased during this period in nearly the same ratio, but
not quite, as the deaths from all causes, which may be shown by
multiplying the death-rate per 1000 from seven chief zymotic
diseases by five so as to obtain the death rate per 5000 inhabitants,
when we get 17.80 for 1851-61 against 18.05 in 1871-78. As
however, there have been two very severe epidemics of small pox
since 1871 in this district,and as the deaths of inhabitants suffering
from small pox which occurred in hospitals outside the district were
not included in the tables as zymotic deaths before 1871, although
they were allowed for as "deaths in hospitals" the statistics
are not quite comparable. It is, therefore, evident that if the
mortality from small pox had been included previously to 1871, the
death-rate from zymotic diseases would have been decidedly below
that of any previous decennial period. The annual death-rate per
1000 inhabitants is gradually approximating to that of all London,
as the district becomes more densely populated, and is inhabited
by a larger proportion of the working classes Thus in 1841-51
the difference in favour of Hackney amounted to 5.40 deaths from
all causes per 1000 population; in 1851-61 to 4.63 ; in 1861-71
to 4.06; and in 1871-78 to 2.90, so that for the 10 years 1871-81
it will probably be under 3.0 per 1000 inhabitants. If it should