View report page

21
The Convulsive diseases of infants (a class which in addition to
those just mentioned, includes Hydrocephalus and Dentition),
caused 144 deaths,— a mortality of 27.72 per thousand births, or
sixteen per cent, of the total infantile deaths from all causes.—
(see Table IV).
RESPIRATORY ORGANS.
The deaths from this group of diseases, exclusive of Phthisis,
were 788, nearly twenty-six per cent, of the total mortality, and
corresponded to a rate of six per thousand population; this is a
very high mortality, and considerably above that of previous years.
Table H separates this mortality into quarters, and shews the
age distribution, and also the mean temperature and rainfall for
each period of three months. The average of the rainfall was
almost identical with that of the previous year; but the temperature
was lower, especially during the first three months, during
which nearly half the total deaths were registered.
January was cold and a good deal of snow fell; the weather in
February was bitter; it was the coldest February we have had for
twenty years; the mean temperature at Greenwich was 33.7 F.
or six degrees below the average of the preceding forty-five years;
the first half of March was very cold, but the weather got suddenly
much warmer during the latter portion of the month: April was
variable, warm at first then cold and stormy; May, somewhat
warmer, than usual, but a great quantity of rain fell; June was a
cold month with a few hot days; the temperature became much
higher during the last week of June, and continued hot in the first
week cf July; but during the latter portion of this month the
weather was dull and cold with much rain; the dull weather continued
through August; September, however, was fine and warm ;
October hot and steamy, the temperature being four degrees over
the average; rain fell on twenty-four days. During this month,
too, many deaths from diarrhoea were returned by the Registrars.
November was unsettled. December, cold.