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73
The average mortality rate during the last ten years was 20.9
deaths per 1,000 persons living, being one death to each 47.9
persons, as compared with a death rate of 21.3 or one death to
46.9 persons living last year. The slight increase in the mortality
rate is owing to the large number (223) of non-parishioners who
died last year from small-pox at the Metropolitan Asylum Smallpox
Hospital at Fulham. The fact that the mortality rate last
year was only .4 above the decennial average, although the
density of the population has increased from 17.2 persons per
acre to 29.0 during the last ten years, and although there was an
exceptionally severe epidemic of small-pox last year is satisfactory,
and is an indication of an improved state of public health.
TABLE III.
The following table shows the number of deaths of each sex
registered in each of the four quarters of the year 1881 in the
Fulham District:—
Sub-district of St. Peter's.
Sub-district of St. Paul's.
Sub-district of Fulham.
Qr.
Mean
Temp'rature-
Males.
Femal's
Total.
Males.
Femal's
Total.
Males.
Femal's
Total.
Granc
Total.
DEG.
1st
37.4
19
16
35
149
172
321
149
142
291
647
53.5
15
12
27
111
149
260
184
141
325
612
3rd
59.6
15
14
29
176
147
323
170
146
316
668
4 th
44.5
10
16
26
122
162
284
111
125
236
516
Yr.
48.7
59
58
117
558
630
1188
614
554
1168
2473
The foregoing table shows that the greatest number of deaths
took place in the first and third quarters, the two quarters in
which the mean temperature was lowest and highest. The number
of deaths were increased in the first quarter from bronchial
diseases, the result of the low temperature. In the third quarter
the mortality rate was increased from enteric diseases, such as
diarrhoea. The increase in the mortality rate which always takes
place in cold and damp weather, is evidence of the necessity for
persons, particularly the aged and young, being protected against
cold. In warm weather germs are deposited from the atmosphere
on food, and being rapidly developed into living organisms, they
set up active decomposition. Such food when eaten becomes a
source of irritation in the intestines and produces diarrhoea. In