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in the district. The birth rate as compared with the death rate
has, with a few exceptions, kept continually increasing sinoe
1841, shewing that, as oompared with the rest of the population,
the number of married women at child-bearing ages has
increased very considerably since that year. In 1841-50 there
were 148 births to 100 deaths; in 1851-60, there were 159
births to each 100 deaths; in 1861-70, there were 157 births to
100 deaths; in 1871-80, there were 178 births to the same
number of deaths; and in 1882 as many as 183 births to 100
deaths. The death rate per 1000 population has remained
nearly the same during the whole of this period, so that the
increased ratio of births to deaths has not been caused to any
marked extent by variations in the death rates. The very
slight excess of deaths pro rata to population since 1841-50, is
very satisfactory indeed, because not only has the density of
population increased, but there were fewer servants in proportion
to population in 1871-80 than in 1841-50, and a much poorer
class of residents. On the other hand the sanitary arrangements
are better now than they have ever been, and the number of
children and young persons amongst the population has
certainly increased, although the proportion of servants has
diminished.
The deaths of infants under 1 year old in proportion to
total births was satisfactory, as there were only 119 out of each
1000 births against 162 for all London, and 142 for Hackney
during the 10 years, 1871-80. This very small death rate of
infants arises to a great extent from the diminution in the
mortality from small pox, measles and diarrhoea, but against
this there was a great excess in the number of deaths from
whooping cough, viz., 60 in 1882, against 23 in 1881. This
makes the low death rate under 1 year all the more
satisfactory.
The death rate per 1000 population was singularly low,
having been only 17.9 against 21.4 for all London, and is
smallest I have recorded since my appointment, the next
lowest, 18.3 having occurred in 1880. These figures are the