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Order VII.—Organs of Locomotion.—Various affections of
the Joints caused 3 deaths.
Order VIII.—Integumentary System.—Total deaths, 8; three of
which were from Abscess, and one each from Ulcers and Skin Disease.
Class IV.—DEVELOPMENTAL DISEASE.
Order I.—Diseases of Children.—Dentition caused 19 deaths ;
53 children died through being prematurely born ; 6 others had
Cyanosis, or Blue Disease, a peculiar condition of things, arising from
some deficiency in the construction of the heart, which allows a mixed
circulation of arterial and venous blood ; 5 had Spina Bifida, which
is a malformation of the spine, and 10 others had various Deformities
which, with one exception, prevented their living beyond the age of
twelve months.
Order II. Adults.—Childbirth; although only 2 deaths were
registered as from Childbed Fever, 12 others were entered as Childbirth,
which includes Hemorrhage, Exhaustion from Prolonged Labour,
Metritis, Puerperal Convulsions, &c., making 14 deaths in all. Now, in
the year 1877, 5,169 live births were registered, but as no record of
still-born children is, in this country, allowed to be made, either
in the register of births or deaths, we cannot ascertain the
exact number of children born ; we must, therefore, seek for our
information in another direction, and ascertain the proportion of live
births to dead births, and raise the numbers accordingly.
In the fifth Report of the Guy's Hospital Lying-in Charity, from
1863 to 1875, by Dr. Galabin, there is the following statement:—
The total number of women attended during the twelve years was 23,591.
The total number of children born was 23,811 ; of these 22,838, or 95.92 per cent.,
were born alive; 973, or 4 08 per cent., were still-born.
Taking these figures as the basis of our calculation, the corresponding
proportions of still births to the registered number of live children
born in Bethnal Green would be 233, which, added to 5,169, brings up
the total of children born to 5,402, and deducting one per cent, for
plural births, the remainder 5,348 gives the number of women delivered
in Bethnal Green for 1877. As before mentioned, 14. deaths from the
various diseases and accidents consequent on labour were registered
during the same period, which shews a mortality of 2.6 per thousand
deliveries, which, considering that a large number of the women
were attended during their confinements by midwives, is a very low rate.