The Tubercular Diseases caused 408 deaths, viz., 325 in the Town and 73 in Brompton. Scrofula was the registered disease in 27 cases, Tabes mesenterica in 53, Phthisis in 245, and Hydrocephalus or Meningitis in 82 cases. The numbers of deaths in the several quarters were—1st, 113; 2nd, 104; 3rd, 88; and 4th, 103:—216 in the winter and 192 in the summer quarters. One hundred and fifty-seven of the deaths were those of children under the age of five years. This mortality is exclusive of those brain affections, Convulsions, &c., and those diseases called developmental which, under the names of Atrophy and Premature birth, are nearly allied to the tubercular diseases specially so-called.
Local Diseases.—The diseases of the nervous system were fatal in 256 cases, viz., 199 in the Town and 57 in Brompton. Eighty-five of the deaths occurred under five years of age. Apoplexy was fatal in 64 cases, Paralysis in 47, Epilepsy in 13, Convulsions in 59, and Brain disease in 62. Apoplexy and Paralysis are diseases of old age; Convulsions, as a rule, of infancy. The deaths from this order of diseases were very equally spread over the whole year, the quarterly numbers being 66, 63, 61, and 66 respectively
The Diseases of the Organs of Circulation caused 149 deaths, viz., in the Town district 115, and in Brompton 34. Nine only of these deaths occurred under the age of five years. Pericarditis was the registered cause in 5 cases, Aneurism in 7, and “Heart disease” in the remainder, 137.
Diseases of the Respiratory Organs.—The deaths from this important order of diseases were 554, viz., 462 in the Town sub-district, and 92 in Brompton. Under five years of age the deaths were 244. The mortality from these affections is greatly influenced by season, more deaths occurring in winter than in summer, and a higher mortality prevailing in proportion as the winter is severe. These facts are illustrated by the subjoined figures, which show the mortality to have been in the four quarters of the year respectively 189, 80, 58, and 227. Thus in the winter quarters the deaths were 416, and in the summer quarters only 138. The deaths in the summer quarters of 1874 were seven less than in 1873; but there was an excess of 78 in the winter quarters of the former year, due to the long-continued cold weather that prevailed in the latter months. The several diseases of this order were the registered causes of death as follows:—Laryngitis 6, Bronchitis 300, Pleurisy 10, Pneumonia 176, Asthma 12, and Lung disease 41. The increased fatality of Bronchitis and Pneumonia helps to explain the higher mortality of 1874 as compared with 1873.
Diseases of the Digestive Organs were fatal in 118 cases (18 under five years), viz., 93 in the Town and 25 in Brompton. They include Enteritis 19, Peritonitis 20, and Liver disease 37.
Diseases of the Urinary Organs were fatal in 51 cases, including Kidney disease 12, Blight’s disease 22; Cystitis 7, and Diabetes 5.
Diseases of the Organs of Generation caused 7 deaths, 6 of them registered as Uterus disease, &c. These deaths are exclusive of malignant affections of the organs included under the head of Cancer.
The Diseases of Children were fatal in 75 cases, including Premature birth 46, Teething 25, and Malformations 4.
The Diseases of Adults include 14 deaths returned as Child-birth, these deaths being irrespective of those already alluded to under the head of Puerperal Fever.
Diseases of Old People (so described) were returned under the head of Old Age as the cause of 94 deaths.