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I he births registered numbered 8,591, being an increase of 502 on the record of
previous year, and giving, on the before-suggested population, an annual birth-rate
35.9 per 1,000.
The deaths from the seven principal zymotic diseases numbered 951, giving an
Annual zymotic death-rate of 3.9 per 1,000, which is .3 per 1,000 higher than the
Average zymotic death-rate for the past ten years.
Comparisons of the foregoing rates can be made by referring to the tables at the
lend of this report.
It is sometimes maintained, and not without cause, that certain districts are
more unhealthy than the more favoured parts of the Borough. I showed in my annual
report for 1891 that the variation in the death-rates of the four wards of the Borough
were not great, being as follows:—Stratford Ward, 19.8 per 1,000; Forest Gate, 17.6;
Plaistow, 18.5; Canning Town, 20.5.
That being census year it was easy to extract the correct death-rates; at the
present time a correct estimate is impossible without some form of census. I hope,
however, by taking somewhat smaller areas, to give a comparative list of death-rates in
selected districts of the Borough. At the same time I feel convinced that the margin
of difference will not be unduly large when the characters both of population and habits
are taken into consideration. These statistics will appear early in the ensuing year,
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Small-pox.—The cause of this disease during the year was marked by a
serious outbreak in February at the Seamen's Branch Hospital, Royal Albert Dock.
The first case occurred in a Lascar who was removed from a vessel in the docks to the
Seamen's Hospital, and was there found to be suffering from small-pox. He was
removed to the hospital ships of the Metropolitan Asylums Board by the Port Sanitary
Authority, but not before the infection had been conveyed to the members of the
hospital staff, of whom no less than eight were attacked by the disease, and removed to
the hospital ships of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, beside several other cases
which were directly traceable to the same source. I personally visited the hospital and