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172
As regards infectious diseases which are not notifiable—
Measles and Whooping Cough again proved fatal to a large number of
children in the early part of the year, the death rate from both, but especially the
latter, being in excess of those for all London.
Diarrhœal diseases were not so fatal as in 1891, but still contributed 93
deaths to the list. The causes which produce diarrhoea depend largely upon
meteorological influences, as heat and moisture, and when these are more or less
absent, as was the case this year, a corresponding effect is produced in the death
rate, as the germs resident in polluted soil in and around houses are unable to
develop. I anticipate an improvement in this and in the next class of diseases
from the important works which have been carried out, or are about to be, in the
parish, although in the case of
Tubercular Diseases, it will take longer time to show it. The deaths from
this class of disease were the same as in 1891.
Influenza. —37 deaths, almost entirely in the first quarter of the year, are
ascribed directly to this disease, as against 63 in the previous year.
The Registrar General classifies small pox, scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria,
whooping cough, fevers (including typhus, enteric, and continued), and diarrhoea
under the heading of the "Principal Diseases of the Zymotic Class,'''' The death
rates for London and Shoreditch respectively of each of these diseases will be seen
in Table III.
The rates for the last three years are shown below.
1890. 1891. 1892.
London 2.9 2.3 2.8
Shoreditch 3.2 3.9 3.2
so that Shoreditch shows a little improvement in this particular group of diseases,
London being 0.1 above the average of the preceding seven years.
DISTRIBUTION OF DEATHS.
From Tables I, II, III and IV may be seen the manner in which the various
diseases were distributed among the four divisions of the parish. Haggerston has
the largest death rate of 24 per 1000, Shoreditch South the lowest with 21.45,
both improvements on the previous year, but not to such an extent as in the
Hoxtons, which have fallen the Old Town from 26 to 22.7, the New from 24.4
to 22.3.
As regards the principal zymotic diseases, Haggerston reached nearly 4 per
1000, the New Town was 3, and the other two divisions 2.5 each. The first
named was in excess in regard to all the infectious diseases, except small pox,
while Hoxton New Town had more measles, whooping cough and fever than the
remaining two.