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9
The proportion of deaths which occurred in public institutions
generally, and of deaths which occurred in the poor-law institution,
during each of the five years, 1921 to 1925, and for comparison
during 1926, are given as percentages of the total deaths for those
years.

It is seen that of the total deaths, the proportion of persons
who died in public institutions in 1921 was on© in five, and that
this proportion has gradually increased until in 1926 one death
in every three occurred in an institution. These figures indicate
to what a large extent institutional treatment is being resorted
to, not only for urgent treatment of acute and serious illness, but
also in order to obtain proper nursing attention during the last
stages of chronic diseases.
Inquests.—Inquests were held in respect of 37, or 9.7 per
cent., of the 380 deaths assignable to the District. The causes of
deaths in these cases were as follows:—
Deaths from suicide 3
Violent deaths, excluding suicide 21
Deaths from natural causes 13
Infantile Mortality. During 1926 the number of deaths of
infants under one year of age was 27, representing a rate of
Infantile Mortality of 50 per 1,000 registered births, the Infantile
Mortality rate for England and Wales being 70, and that for
London 64 per 1,000 registered births for the corresponding period.
On reference to Table VII., below, in which the average
infantile mortality rates for quinquennial periods since 1891 are
given, it will be seen that in this District infantile mortality has
steadily declined. The lowest rate ever recorded in the District
was one of 47 per 1,000 registered births in 1923; the rate for
1926 is only slightly higher than this.