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9
These Tables (Nos. 3, 4 & 5,) show the leading Vital Statistics of this Report.
•
Whilst the deaths of Children under 1 year old and 5 years old equalled 21.7 per
cent. and 44 2 per cent. respectively, those of people beyond 60 were but 17.9 per cent.
against 22-6 per cent. in all London. The percentage of non-parishioners' deaths
(largely made up of "drowned cases") was 19.3.
CAUSES OF DEATH.
CLASS I. —ZYMOTIC DISEASES.
The deaths recorded in this class were 230 in all, 156 occurring amongst children.
They were chiefly due to Measles, Scarlet Fever and Whooping Cough, though the
amount of illness certified as Diphtheria was above the average, and was in almost
every rase associated with defective drainage and water supply.
The total Zymotic Death-rate equalled 6.7 per thousand, that from the "seven
principal diseases" 5.6 per thousand; the child rate was 3 5 per thousand.
A single instance of Typhus Fever and another of socalled Cholera were recorded ;
no spread of either complaint took place. The enteric fever cases had caught that
malady from various sources of infection extrinsic to the Parish: but the customary
polluted water supply was evident in all their homes. The deaths from Diarrhoea were
fewer than usual, probably diminished by the unusually low summer temperature.
CLASS II.—CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES.
These were the causes of 142 deaths, 53 of which were registered as occurring
amongst children under 3 years old. They were mostly diagnosed as Phthisis, Scrofula
and Tabes Mesenterica.
CLASS III.—LOCAL DISEASES.
These gave 390 fatalities: 171 children under 5 years dving from them. Pulmonary
diseases (excluding Consumption) caused 213 deaths; convulsive diseases of
infants were credited with 62 deaths, and nearly all the remainder were assigned to
brain and heart disease.
The large increase from last year in the returns of pulmonary disease was no doubt
caused by the prevalence of cold and wet weather throughout the greater part of the
year.