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This is an excess of .2 per thousand beyond the average of the ten years last
passed, but a diminution from the last year's death-rate of 2.3 per thousand.
The "child death-rate" (that of all children under 5 years) was 43.1 per cent.,
and the "infant death-rate" (of children not one year old) 33.5 per cent., as against
48.3 and 38.7 of the 1868—1877 average.
The death-rate for London in. 1878 was 23.5 per thousand, and for the "Outer
Circle" or "Greater London," 22.3—as against 21.9 and 20.7 per thousand respectively
in 1877, and for the 23 large Towns of the United Kingdom 24.4.
Whilst therefore, our total corrected death and child-rates have diminished since
1877, and the former is lower than in either London or Greater London, last year's
Metropolitan death-rate is higher since 1877, by 1.6 per thousand, and the mean of the
23 large Towns by 1.4 per thousand. In the same period, our mortality was but 2.6
per thousand beyond that of the healthiest large Town mentioned by the Registrar
General (Dover, with a death-rate of 16.2), and 108 per thousand lower than the
most sickly (Dublin, with 29.6).
We were but .8 per thousand above the rate of the healthiest foreign City,
(Philadelphia, U.S. with 18), and 29.2 per thousand below that of the most unhealthy
(Madras, with 48).
Rotherhithe, you will probably agree with me, is not insalubrious.
But whilst we may congratulate ourselves on the comparatively small death-toll
which, relatively to many other centres of population, we have to pay, we must not
forget that the best standard of the healthy condition of a neighbourhood is the lowness
of the "child death-rate." The subjoined facts prove that in our district, this is higher
than it should be. Of 100,000 children of all classes born alive in all England, 74,000
are living on the completion of their fifth year. Amongst a like number of the "upper
classes," 87,000 survive their fifth birthday, 90,000 of the peerage, and only 48,000 of
Rotherhithe. This loss of over 26,000 young lives, which might by improved hygiene
be preserved, is chiefly due to diarrhoea and infantile convulsions, impure water
and improper or insufficient nourishment (in quality as well as quantity), acute chest
affections, from impure air and faulty ventilation and clothing, and contagious diseases
of children, from want of isolation of the sick.
We certainly are in advance of most large towns, where the deaths of children
under 5 years usually make up 50 per cent. of the total deaths, and of some where it
occasionally reaches 60, and even 90 per cent.! and we are steadily improving, year by
year; but seeing that our " total death-rate "very little exceeds that of the healthiest
parts of England, I trust that eventually, our "child death-rate" will more nearly
resemble the latter.
See Tables I. and II.