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ually exists and deaths are occurring. To what extent
these preventible diseases have been spread, and how
many lives have been sacrificed by the withdrawal of
this means of information, which might have been saved,
it would be impossible accurately to estimate, but that
both these injurious and fatal results have occurred can
scarcely bo doubted, unless upon the ground that sanitary
science is a delusion and its application consequently
inoperative.
Births.
There were 4010 children registered as having been
born in the hamlet during the year ; I cannot apportion
the sexes owing to the absence of the district Registrars'
returns. This number shows an increase of 105 over the
previous year, and of 231 over the average of five previous
years, giving a birth-rate of a little over 4 per cent,
or 40 per 1000 of the population as compared with 36.12
for the metropolis, and 36.05 for the whole country.
If it is the rule, as some eminent vital staticians believe
and have attempted to prove, that a high birth rate and
low death rate are incompatible, Mile End Old Town
has for some years proved an exception.
Marriages.
The total number of marriages registered was 949,
showing a marriage rate within a fraction of 19 per
1000 of the population. This is consistent with the
high birth rate. The marriage rate for the whole country
during the same period was 17.2 per 1000. In the
metropolis the rate was 18.5.
Deaths.
The number of deaths during the year was 2165, showing
an increase of 57 over the previous year, and of 25
above the average of five previous years, but this incrcaso
is little more than proportionate to increase of