The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-10 00:00:00

THE SANATORY CONDITION OF THE CITY.

Dr. Letheby, the medical officer of health, pre-
sented his quarterly report on the sanatory condi-
tion of the city of London, which was as follows:
" 642 births have been registered during the
quarter, and 606 deaths. In the corresponding
quarter of last year there were 839 births and 640
death ; and the average numbers for the summer
quarters of the last 10 years are 808 births and 780
deaths. The falling off, therefore, in the proportion
of births has been at the rate of nearly 20 per cent.
and of the deaths about 23 per cent.

" The distribution of the births has been as fol-
lrws :-287 have been in the eastern division of the
City, 155 in the western, and 200 in the central.
These numbers are in the annual proportion of 28.2
per 1,000 of the inhabitants of the first-named dis-
trict, 22.8 of the second, and only 17.5 of the third,

making a total of 22.7 for the entire City. In the

whole of England the mean proportion of births in
the summer quarter is at the annual rate of 32.8 per
1,000 of the population, and in the metropolis it is
32.5. In the city of London, therefore, the pro-
portion of births is considerably below the average.
This is remarkable as regards the eastern and
western divisions of the City, for in those districts
the birth-rate is generally a little in excess of the

average_
" Of the 606 deaths in the City, 262 were regis-
tered in the Eastern division, 145 in the Western,
and 199 in the Central. These are in the annual
proportion of 25.7 per 1,000 of the inhabitants of
the first-named district, 21.3 of the second, and 17.5
of the third—making a general total of 21.4 for the
entire City. In all England during the summer
quarter, the annual death rate is in the proportion
of 20.4 per 1,000 of the population ; and in the
chief towns of England it is 23.8 per 1,000,—50
that, excepting the Eastern division of the City,
which is the most densely populated, the mortality
I has not been equal to the average of a town death-
rate.

" As usual the largest mortality has been among
children of less than 5 years of age, and next to these
the largest mortality has been at the ages of from
60 to 70. Of every 100 deaths in the quarter, 38
have been among children under 5 years of age, 10
at from 5 to 20 years of age, 14 at from 20 to 40, 19
at from 40 to 60, and 19 at 60 and upwards. The
infant mortality, although large, has not been ex-
cessive ; for in the whole of England it is about 41
per cent. of the total deaths ; and the average num-
ber for the corresponding period of the last seven
years in the City is 44. It is only in the Eastern
Union that the proportions have been large : there
it has amounted to 45 per cent, of all the deaths.
" These are classified in Table 111. of the appen-
dix, and the chief facts of interest are the follow.
ing :—Tubercular diseases have declined from a
general average of 156 in the quarter to 138, alvine
flux from 66 to 33, and chronic maladies from 187
to 164. Inflammatory affections of the lungs, ex-
clusive of phthisis, have, however, advanced from
56 in the quarter to 64, and zymotic diseases from
114 to 132. The chief increase in the latter has
been from continued fever and measles; the former
has advanced from an average of 28 deaths in the
quarter to 38, and the latter from 15 to 42. The
exact causes of this are not apparent.
" Fever of a low typhoid character has been very
generally prevalent throught the country, and we in
the City have not been exempt from it. In the cor-
responding quarter of last year there were but 18
deaths from the disease ; in the succeeding quarter
the number advanced to 39, then to 44, and lastly to
53. That was the number returned in the spring
quarter of the present year. So that, although the
summer quarter is generally more prolific of this
malady than the spring quarter, the number
of deaths has actually declined from 53 to 38. The
sickness returns among the poor do not, however,
show so favourable an aspect. In the correspond-
ing quarter of last year the number of fever cases
attended among the poor of the City by the union
medical officers was but 46, in the present quarter
it has been 263 ; in the spring quarter the number
was 223, in the winter quarter 129, and in the au-
tumn quarter of last year 141. There has, there-
fore, been
abseteln2a progressive
and
increaseduring th
eo of the
last
three malady fomonths
it has reached its
climax.
r
months,
exhibited an erraticted fo r
In outburst
the
" Measles have also
of power which is not easily n
summer quarter of
acc
accounted
last year there were but two
deaths from.the disease,
and in each of the two suc-
ceedinge
were but seven deaths ; then
however the number rose
to 36 ; and in last quarter
it was 42. The rise and progress of these maladies
by the advance and
appear to be clearly
indicated
decline of the mortality
returns
not
4,lBettble. That
but the real cease
/w
of these fluctuations are •
the worst localities of the City have been as usual
the chief seats of the disease is an undoubted fact;