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has gradually risen until in 1886 it was 14.4 per thousand. It is just
possible that this rise may be merely due to improved statement of
cause of death in the case of infants; but the figures cannot but
give rise to a suspicion, that there is some change in the condition
of female life which affects seriously the child-bearing function."
WASTING DISEASES OF INFANTS.
This group, which includes Atrophy and Debility, want of
Breast-milk, and Premature Birth, accounts for 144 deaths— a
proportion of sixteen per cent, of the total infantile mortality,
giving a rate of 27.72 per thousand births.
INQUESTS.
The Coroner held 231 inquests, 7.6 per cent., or one in thirteen
of the total deaths. The violent deaths numbered 110, rather
more than three-and-a-half per cent, of the total death rate.
Ninety-seven were from accident or negligence; twelve were
suicides. Of these four men and one woman hanged themselves;
two men died from hoemorrhage from self-inflicted wounds of the
throat; three men and two women took poison, one took
laudanum, another Battle's vermin killer, a third prussic acid,
and the other two oxalic acid; all the suicides were (in the opinion
of the Coroner's juries) of unsound mind at the time the rash act
was committed.
UNCERTIFIED DEATHS.
Twelve deaths were uncertified, all except two were deaths of
infants who died a few hours after birth either from convulsions,
premature birth, or debility. Two old people died suddenly
without medical attendance; the cause of death was stated to be
in one case apoplexy, and in the other old age. The Coroner did
not consider an inquest to be necessary in either.
DEATHS IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The number of persons who died in hospital in Bethnal Green
was 532; of these 362 died in the workhouse (209 males and 153
females); 93 in the City of London Hospital for Diseases of the
Chest, Victoria Park (59 males, 34 females); 59 in Bethnal Green
Lunatic Asylum (32 males, 27 females); and 18 in the Mildmay
Mission Hospital (8 males and 10 females).