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VITAL STATISTICS.
HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS.
In the 97 English and Welsh towns with populationsexceeding 50,000 persons at the last Census, 8817 births and5016 deaths were registered during the week ended Saturday,Sept. 5th. The annual rate of mortality in these towns,which in the three preceding weeks had been 12-6, 12-3, and13-6 per 1000 of their aggregate population, estimated at18,120,059 persons at the middle of this year, further rose to14-4 per 1000 in the week under notice. During the firstnine weeks of the current quarter the mean annual death-ratein these towns averaged 12-4, against a corresponding rateof 12-3 per 1000 in the metropolis. Among the several townsthe death-rate last week ranged from 4-3 in Bournemouth, 5’2in Reading, 6’5 in Southport, 6’6 in Ealing and in Eastbourne,and 7’0 in Darlington, to 21-0 in Gateshead, 21-2 in Stoke-on-Trent and in Tynemouth, 21-6 in Liverpool, 23-9 in Middles-brough, and 24-8 in South Shields.The 5016 deaths from all causes were 296 in excess of the
number in the previous week, and included 1189 which werereferred to the principal epidemic diseases, against numberssteadily increasing from 394 to 890 in the eight precedingweeks. Of these 1189 deaths, 947 resulted from infantilediarrhoeal diseases, 82 from measles, 69 from whooping-cough, 49 from diphtheria, 25 from scarlet fever, and 17 fromenteric fever, but not one from small-pox. The mean annualdeath-rate from these diseases was equal to 3-4, or 0-8 per 1000above the rate in the previous week. The deaths of infants(under 2 years) from diarrhoea and enteritis, which hadsteadily increased from 112 to 677 in the eight preceding weeks,further rose to 947, of which 269 were registered in London, 71 inLiverpool, 50 in Birmingham, 31 in Manchester, 25 in WestHam, in Stoke-on-Trent, and in Leeds, and 23 in Sheffield.The deaths referred to measles, which had been 111, 92,and 92 in the three preceding weeks, fell to 82, andincluded 24 in London, 13 in Oldham, 10 in Leeds, 6 inWest Ham, 5 in Liverpool, and 4 in SLeffield. The fatalcases of whooping-cough, which had been 65, 51, and 52 inthe three preceding weeks, rose to 69 last week, of which22 occurred in London and 3 in Manchester. The deathsattributed to diphtheria, which had been 31, 32, and 35in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 49, andincluded in Birmingham, 6 in London, 3 each in Sheffieldand Liverpool, and 2 each in Leyton, Brighton, Portsmouth,Bristol, Stoke-on-Trent, and Middlesbrough. The deathsreferred to scarlet fever, which had been 19, 23, and20 in the three preceding weeks, rose to 25 last week, of which8 were recorded in London, 2 in Liverpool, and 2 in Preston.The fatal cases of enteric fever, which had been 14, 9, and14 in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 17 last week,and included 3 in London and 2 in Portsmouth.The number of scarlet fever patients under treatment in
the Metropolitan Asylums Hospitals and the London FeverHospital, which had been 3072, 3071, and 3216 at theend of the three preceding weeks, had further increased to3318 on Saturday last; 548 new cases were admitted duringthe week, against 335, 414, and 536 in the three precedingweeks. These hospitals also contained on Saturday last1093 cases of diphtheria, 63 of whooping-cough, 45 of entericfever, and 13 of measles, but not one of small-pox. The 1332deaths from all causes in London were 152 in excess of thenumber in the previous week, and corresponded to an annualrate of 15-4 per 1000. The deaths referred to diseasesof the respiratory system, which had been 116, 143, and 132in the three preceding weeks, further fell to 128 in the weekunder notice, but were 4 above the number in the corre-
sponding week of last year.Of the 5016 deaths from all causes in the 97 towns, 178
resulted from various forms of violence, and 360 were thesubject of coroners’ inquests, while 1479 occurred in publicinstitutions. The causes of 44, or 0-9 per cent., of the totaldeaths were not certified either by a registered medical prac-titioner or by a coroner after inquest. All the causes ofdeath were duly certified in Leeds, Bristol, West Ham,Bradford, Hull. Nottingham, and in 72 other smaller towns.Of the uncertified causes of death, 7 were registered in Bir-mingham, 6 in Gateshead, 5 in Liverpool, 3 each in Londonand Tynemouth, and 2 each in Gillingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington, Manchester, South Shields,_ and New-castle-on-Tyne. - -
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HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS.
In the 16 largest Scotch towns with an aggregate popula-tion estimated at 2,293,200 persons at the middle of this year,1145 births and 703 deaths were registered during the weekended Saturday, Sept. 5th. The annual rate of mortalityin these towns, which had been 138, 150, and 14’4 per 1000 inthe three preceding weeks, rose to 16’0 per 1000 in the
week under notice. During the first nine weeks of the current,quarter the mean annual death-rate in these towns averaged13-7, against 12’4 per 1000 in the 97 large English townsrAmong the several towns the death-rate last week rangedfrom 10-1 in Motherwell, 10-5 in Leith, and 10’8 in Hamilton,to 18-1 in Glasgow, 18-8 in Paisley, and 18-9 in Ayr.The 703 deaths from all causes were 72 in excess of the
number in the previous week, and included 121 which werereferred to the principal epidemic diseases, against numbers.increasing from 49 to 100 in the five preceding weeks. Of these121 deaths, 89 resulted from infantile diarrhceal diseases, 16from whooping-cough, 8 from diphtheria, 4 from scarlet fever,3 from measles, and 1 from enteric fever, but not onefrom small-pox. The mean annual death-rate from thesediseases was equal to 2-8, against 3’4 per 1000 in the97 large English towns. The deaths of infants (under2 years) attributed to diarrhoea and enteritis, which hadsteadily increased from 29 to 64 in the four precedingweeks, further rose to 89, of which 61 were recorded inGlasgow, 5 each in Edinburgh, Dundee, and Greenock, and 4-in Coatbridge. The deaths referred to whooping-cough,which had been 16, 13, and 15 in the three pre-ceding weeks, were 16 last week, and comprised 13in Glasgow, 2 in Greenock, and 1 in Dundee. The fatalcases of diphtheria, which had been 7, 11, and 6 in thethree preceding weeks, rose to 8, of which 3 occurred inAberdeen. The 4 deaths attributed to scarlet fever, ofwhich 2 were registered in Glasgow, were slightly belowthe average in the earlier weeks of the quarter. The 3deaths from measles, comprising 2 in Glasgow and 1 inDundee, were 3 below the average in the earlier weeks ofthe quarter. The fatal case of enteric fever was recorded inFalkirk.The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory system,
which had increased from 55 to 70 in the four precedingweeks, fell to 65 in the week under notice, and 30 deathswere attributed to various forms of violence, against 33and 25 in the two preceding weeks.
HEALTH OF IRISH TOWNS.
In the 27 town districts of Ireland with an aggregate popu-lation estimated at 1,205,280 persons at the middle of thisyear, 606 births and 419 deaths were registered during theweek ended Saturday, Sept. 5th. The annual rate ofmortality in these towns, which had been 15.5,16.1, and 17.6per 1000 in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 18-1per 1000 in the week under notice. During the first nine.weeks of the current quarter the mean annual death-ratein these towns averaged 16-2, against corresponding rates of12-4 and 13-7 per 1000 in the English and Scotch towns.respectively. The annual death-rate last week was equal to.18-9 in Dublin (against 15-4 in London and 18-1 in Glasgow),20-3 in Belfast, 11-6 in Cork, 12-7 in Londonderry, 17-6 inLimerick, and 15-2 in Waterford, while in the 21 smallertowns the mean death-rate was 16-6 per 1000.The 419 deaths from all causes were 13 in excess of the
number in the previous week, and included 84 which werereferred to the principal epidemic diseases, against numbers.increasing from 40 to 91 in the four preceding weeks. Ofthese 84 deaths, 74 resulted from infantile diarrhoeal.diseases, 3 from whooping-cough, 2 from measles, scarletfever, and diphtheria, and 1 from enteric fever, but not.one from small-pox. The mean annual death-rate fromthese diseases was equal to 3.5, against corresponding;rates of 3-4 and 2-8 per 1000 in the English and Scotchtowns respectively. The deaths of infants (under 2 years)attributed to diarrhoea and enteritis, which had increased.from 18 to 67 in the four preceding weeks, further rose to 74, ofwhich 44 were registered in Belfast, 17 in Dublin, and 3 inLondonderry. The deaths referred to whooping-cough,which had been 8, 7, and 7 in the three preceding weeks,declined to 3 last week, of which 2 occurred in Belfast and1 in Cork. The deaths from measles and scarlet fever wereregistered in Belfast, the 2 deaths from diphtheria in Dublin,and the fatal case of enteric fever in Ballymena ; in each casethe deaths from these diseases last week were below theaverage in the earlier weeks of the quarter.The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory system,
which had been 46, 47, and 43 in the three preceding weeks,rose to 49 in the week under notice. Of the 419 deathsfrom all causes, 107, or 26 per cent., occurred in public institu-tions, and 8 resulted from different forms of violence. Thecauses of 11, or 2-6 per cent., of the total deaths were notcertified either by a registered medical practitioner or bya coroner after inquest; in the 97 English towns the-proportion of uncertified causes did not exceed 0-9per cent.
KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL : OLD STUDENTS’DINNER.-The dinner of the past and present students ofKing’s College Hospital arranged for Oct. 2nd next will not.take place on account of the war.
