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4
During the Quarter ending March, 1869, 475 persons died
in the Parish, while in the same period there were 759 births.
The death-rate, calculated upon the estimated population, would
be 19.6 per 1000; and the birth-rate 31.3, being an excess of
283 births over the deaths in three months.
The Zymotic deaths were only 63, a remarkably small
number in comparison with any previous quarter, and with the
general population, and especially considering the large number
of young children in the Parish.
Measles and Scarlet Fever, each show only 7 fatal cases ;
Whooping Cough, 18 cases; 18 deaths are also recorded from
Fever, being chiefly Typhoid, remittent, and infantile Fever ; no
Typhus; Bronchitis and Inflammation of the Lungs were fatal
in 92 cases, of which 37 were in young children under 5 years
of age; Diarrhœa was fatal in about 3 instances. Scarlet Fever
is still an Epidemic in London and other Towns, with a high
death-rate generally. In this Parish, the deaths from Scarlet
Fever for 4 quarters stand thus:—6, 14, 22, 7; total 49 for the
year; while the Zymotic forms of disease are low, 6 or 7 weekly
(the usual average of this quarter being only 4.8*); the general
mortality is higher than usual, 475 being the highest recorded
for some time past. Chest diseases have been more numerous
than usual, 105 in all during the winter quarter, 70 cases being
in very young or very aged persons, who are always the first to
suffer from extremes of temperature.
Systematic Sanitary Inspection of Streets and Mewses
during the quarter gives complete details of a group of streets
in the neighbourhood of Harrow Road. In some of these
houses a large number of families live; several instances of
overcrowding have been abated within the last year by simple
notice, or a threat of proceedings under the powers of the
Nuisances Removal Act.
* The weekly returns of January 23rd had no deaths from Zymotic disease ;
February 6th, 2; 13th, 4; 27th, 1. March 6th, 2; 13th, 5. This with a population
closely approaching 100,000, is a remarkable circumstance, so few deaths from
epidemic disease, I believe, having no parallel in any other highly popular district.