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65
18 8 5-8 6.
MEDICAL OFFICER'S
ANNUAL REPORT.
Gentlemen,
It may perhaps be recollected that, in my report for
the year 1883, I pointed out that the death-rate of London
for that year was the lowest on record, and that in my report
for the year 1884, I stated that the mortuary rate for that
year was even lower than that for 1883. I have to announce
that the Metropolitan death-rate for 1885 is still lower than
these. The death-rate for 1883 was 20.5 per 10,000 persons
living; that for 1884, 20.4; that for 1885, 19.7.
The Registrar-General shows that the diminished
mortality for the last three years has been due, in part, to
a marked falling-off in the marriage-rate, and to a consequent
marked falling-off in the birth-rate; for the larger the number
of labours the larger will be the number of deaths incidental
to childbirth, and inasmuch as children in their first year die
in much larger proportion than other persons, a large diminution
in the number of births must, other things remaining
The same, have a marked influence on the general death-rate,
The Registrar-General, however, calculates that, due allowance
being made for these influences, the death-rate for 1885
would still be only 20.0 per 1000, and would still be the
lowest on record.