Mortality of Philadelphia for October, November, and December, 1852, arranged from the Record kept at the Health Office. By Wilson Jewell, M. D. The returns of deaths made to the Health Office, for the fourth quarter of the year 1852, embrace a period of ninety-one days, or thirteen weeks, beginning with the 3d of October and ending with January 1st, 1853. The number of deaths from all causes, reported during this period, have been 1158 of children under twenty years of age, and 1930 adults; in all, 2088. This shows a falling off of 635, or 23i per cent, of the mean proportion of deaths for the three previous quarters of the year. By deducting the Still-Born, the deaths from External Causes, Debility and Old Age, there are left 1759 deaths from actual disease. The deaths among females were 922; males 1166; showing an excess of 244 of the latter sex. During the quarter, estimating the population at 409,000, there has been about 1 death to every 196 inhabitants, equal to 23 deaths per day. Of the whole number of deaths recorded, 930, nearly 47 per cent, were under five years of age ; and 129, or 6 per cent, were over seventy years of age. The deaths from Fevers were 282; exceeding those in the 1st and 2d quarter, and twice as many as those recorded for the 3d quarter of the year. Three fifths of the deaths from Fevers, or 166, were from Scarlatina. Consumption of the Lungs constitute a majority of all the deaths from diseases of the Organs of Respiration ; 271 out of 466, ascribed to these organs, are charged directly to Consump- tion; whereas, if we include those from “Abscess, Hemorrhage, and Gangrene of the Lungs,” with “Disease of Lungs” and “ Hectic Fever,” we shall still further swell the deaths from this destroying malady. Those diseases from which the greatest number of deathshave occurred during the quarter, are, Consumption of the Lungs, 271; Scarlet Fever, 166; Convulsions, 88; Inflammation of the Lungs, 86 ; Croup, 71; Dysentery, 55 ; Marasmus, 55 ; Typhus Fever, 53; amounting in all to 845, and constituting very nearly the half of all the deaths recorded from actual disease. Of these, 388 or 45 per ct. were in children under 10 years of age. TABLE No. I. Deaths for the Fourth Quarter of 1852. classified. . S £ <- A MALE. FEMALE. S S 2 o > g £ O £ P O. N. D. O. N. D. £ 1. Endemic and Contagious Diseases. Zymotic or Epidemic . . 148 163 195 84 90 97 64 73 98 506 2. Uncertain or general seat. Spo- radic diseases . . . . 70 103 126 37 60 70 33 43 56 299 3. The Nervous System . . . 94 87 133 59 54 85 35 33 48 314 4. Organs of Respiration . . . 122 157 187 65 88 92j 57 69 95 466 5. £c Circulation . . . 17 16 11 9 7 6 8 9 5 44 6. The Digestive Organs . . . 36 43 49 23 22 26 13 21 23 128 7. The Urinary Organs ... 2 3 1 2 3 1 6 8. The Organs of Generation ..1 3 5 1 3 5 9 9. “ Locomotion . . 335212123 11 10. 1 he Integumentary System . . 12 1111 1 4 11. Old Age........................ 9 8 15 4 5 1 5 3 14 32 12. External Causes . . . .22 23 25 16 13 19 6 10 6 70 Still Born..................... 33 41 56 20 25 35 13 16 21 130 Unknown........................ 22 25 22 11 17 11 11 8 11 69 __________________________ 580677831 334 386 446 246 291 385 2088 TABLE No. II. 1. Endemic and Contagious Diseases—Zymotic or Epidemic. . . I.............o 2 O "-I .ic. OiOOOOOOOO^f A c A ^"ocoooooooc^ "S S c 2 -g ■s! A Io ~ O O O O >O O O O O O' A F—i pj l-Jr-i ;) C T-. „ J; - IQ C (' X Aphthae ...112 2 Cholera Infantum . 5 4 4 2 3 9 “ Morbus . 16 8 2 8 5 3 2 2 1 1 24 Croup . . . 34 37 12 15 36 7 1 71 Diarrhoea ... 11 17 8 7 2 3 2 4 2 28 Dysentery . . 36 19 5 11 11 4 3 6 5 5 2 2 1 55 Erysipelas .. 6441 [311 10 Fever ... 2 5 1 2111 17 c{ Bilious . . 4 13 4 “ Congestive . 2 2 3 1 4 ic Intermittent .11 1 (i Remittent .23111 11 5 “ Scarlet . . 90 76 16 21 76 19 2 1 1 166 • ....................d 2 -< .vsooooooooo^ , — u • .o—'CQCOrtOOoQOO.-. . a> 2“‘?,'®'7oooooi:,ocoo°'i3 *- kT o'oooooooooo ° •< P —iwWrtHwcoTi'iQsoc'OoaH t-1 Abscess Psoas . . 1 1 I 1 Angina ... 3111 3 Cachexia ... 1 2 1 11 3 Cancer ... 14 11111 5 “ Breast . . 1 11 “ Throat . . 1 1 1 Cyanosis ... 4 2 4 1 1 6 Debility . . . 66 31 38 1 1 2 5 11 6 6 16 9 2 97 Disease of Mesen. Glands 11 1 Disease of Throat .1 11 Dropsy . . . 23 14 35112276262 37 Fungus Hematodes .1 11 Gangrene ... 1 3 1 111 4 Gout in Stomach . . 1 11 Hemorrhage .. 352 221 1 . 8 Inanition ... 8611 1 11 14. Inflammation . . 14 2 111 5 “ of Neck ..11 1 Malformation ..515 1 6 Marasmus . . . 29 26 27 12 8 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 55 Mortification 1 11 Ptyalism ... 1 1 1 Scirrhus ... 2 11 2 Scrofula . . . 17 9334273 211 26 Tabes Mesenterica . 39315111 12 Tumours ... 2 11 2 “ of Neck ..11 1 Ulceration of Throat .3111 3 ________________________[167 132 99'2427 4|12' 7| 92224 13 18^25) 13| 2| 299 3. Of the Nervous System. k . .1.1. . . . . .[©Is • • «a©ooooooooL-, ~ c -g^~To<=>oooc,oooo~ r° O O O OOOOOO r2 u- 1—' —< LO —a0O’-< “ Abscess of Brain . . 1 1 1 Apoplexy . . • 168 1 124475 24 Asthma Thymic ..11 1 Cerebral Disease .1 11 “ Fever ..11 1 Compression of Brain . 1 ] 11 2 Concussion “ . 1 1 1 Congestion “ . 12 7 5 1 2 2 2 2 4 1 19 Convulsions . . 57 31 51 1615 2 1 1 1 1 88 Cramp ... 1 1 1 Disease of Brain . . 14 9 9 2 3 1 3 1 3 1 23 Dropsy “ . . 19 13 13 8 6 3 1 1 32 Effusion “ . . 10 10 2 2 6 1 1 2 3 3 20 Epilepsy ... 33 12111 6 Hemorrhage from Ear .11 1 Inflammation of Brain . 27 18 9 5 15 3 1 3 5 3 1 45 Injury of Brain . . 1 11 Mania ... 2 11 2 “ apotu . . 12 3 6 4 4 1 15 Neuralgia ... 1 1 1 Palsy .... 981 1 212442 17 Softening of Brain .71 1 1231 8 Tetanus ... 2 1 111 3 Trismus ... 1 1 1 ________________________981 116 93|36 48|l5 7 6 1823 io!L7| 16| 13 3I 314 4. Organs of Respiration. . £ ..............Io® 0> t—' .10 0 oO O O OO O Io — , . . o — cv cc, —> o o c- co o -h _ - cS !T OJ >O >-i o ,— 1 C OO OOOCOOOO+JCS 73 5 xOoc--*J*-----^-o-g F? r7 to O IO 0 = 0000000 . « >—1 f—> —< o» vo < ojco^'oor-ooo’-1 r* Abscess of Lungs .31 211 4 Asthma ... 1 1 1 1 2 Congestion of Lungs . 4 9 6 1 1 1 1 1 2 13 Consumption “ . 134 137 5 7 3 6 4 19 80573933 11 7 271 “ Laryngeal .1 11 Disease of Lungs .411 1111 5 “ Chest ..31111 1 4 Dropsy of Chest .. 3 2 2 111 5 Effusion “..2111 1 3 “ Lungs ..11 112 Fever, Hectic ..11 1 Gangrene of Lungs .1 11 Hemorrhage “..43 3121 7 Inflammation of Bronchiae 23 18 24 3 4 3 1 2 2 1 1 41 “ Chest .4112 4 C£ Larynx .34141 1 7 “ Lungs . 50 36 17 1210 2 2 3 16 3 8 5 5 1 2 86 “ Pleura .2 11 2 “ Throat .1111 2 Tuberculosis ..3211 3 5 __________________215 122 57 3026'16 9126'107 6651 4321 11 3 466 5. Organs of Circulation. ■7, ..............o’ o . .10 000000000’-' — H Disease of Kidneys .2 11 2 “ “ and Bladder 1 1 1 Inflam, of Bladder .1 11 “ of Kidneys .11 1 Urinary Calculus .1 11 ______________________I 6___________1____1 1 1 111 6 8. Organs of Generation. F-< * • O .............................. ~ • . ^OOOOOCOOOlZ (1) rH . .Or-HGMCOrtlOI>UOO>i-< —'CJlOr-lr-iC-JCO-s-tOOc-OOOi-iH Caries ... 1 1 11 2 Hip Disease ..111 1 2 Disease of Spine .1 1 1 “ Leg . . 1 1 1 Cancer “ . . 1 1 1 Fracture of Spine .1 1 1 Atrophy Spinal Marrow 1 11 Rheumatism . . 1 11 Spina Bifida ..11 1 _____________________5 6 1 1______12 2 11 1 1______11 10. The Integumentary System. ................ S . ‘VOOOOOOOOOOLh . f-< CQ r-< O • O P^QilQv-QOO^ H Purpura Hemorrhagica 3 1111 1 M I 4 I 11. Old Age. Old Age ~. . » I 10| 22| | | |~T I I I r |~nPT12pF2T32 12. From External Causes. • o . i ................ . _ . IQOOOOOOOOO^h QOOr-< . . — - (X T-l O ’ 1 r- >Z OlQOOOOOOOOOr” fc< i—> « r-H r-< c; co —• IO o r- CC .H t-* Asphyxia ...5 5 8 2 10 Bums and Scalds ..461332 1 10 Casualties ... 18 4 5 1 1 4 3 3 5 22 Drowned ... 92 1122311 11 Intemperance ..5 2 1 2 3 1 7 Suffocation ... 2 3 2 1 2 5 Suicide ... 3 12 3 Violence ... 1 1 1 Exposure ... 1 1 1 48 22| 16 5 4 4 1 3 7 12 9 7 2 70 Unknown” . ~ .” ~39~30i~20 4~3~ I 1’1'710 6| 7 6 4 Tlj 69 Still Born . . . 80i 50|130 I |________| | 130 TABLE NO. 3. Deaths for the Fourth quarter, at fifteen distinct periods of life. Under 1 year,..................................374 1 to 2.........................165 2 to 5.........................270 5 to 10 . . . . • . . 112 10 to 15.....................41 15 to 20 . . • . . . 66 20tol-0......................229 30 to 40........................194 40 to 50........................152 50 to 60........................127 60 to 70 ,.......................99 70 to 80.........................79 80 to 90.........................36 90 to 100........................12 100 to 110.........................2 1958 Still Born........................130 Total, 2088 Included in the above Tables, were 193 from the Blockley Almshouse; 171 people of color, and 18 from the country; as follows: Almshouse. Blacks. Country. October, ... 42 48 9 November, .... 66 58 5 December, ... 85 65 4 Total, 193 171 18 SUMMARY FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. The quarterly tables presented in this Journal for the year 1852, exhibit, in those marked No. 1, the number of deaths, with their causes, for each month, grouped or classified in ac- cordance with the system approved by the American Medical Association; They also furnish the sexes in which the deaths took place. The tables marked No. 2, show in their classified relations, not only the number of deaths, but the names of the diseases causing death, as given in the certificates returned to the Board of Health. They are arranged under fifteen distinct periods of life. The tables, No. 3, furnish the aggregate of deaths at fifteen distinct periods of life. There are also appended, the deaths which took place during each quarterly period, at the Blockley Almshouse; the number of deaths among the colored population, as well as the number brought from the country to be interred in the city. The following table exhibits the deaths for the vear 1852, in each sex, under the several classes of disease: Male. Female. Total. 1. Endemic and Contagious diseases. ? . . ,„no Zymotic or Epidemic, $ . 1398 138' 2785 2. Uncertain or General seat. . . . . Sporadic diseases,.....................698 575 1273 4. The Nervous System,................... 957 712 1669 3. Organs of Respiration,................ 1147 1025 2172 5. u “ Circulation, . . . .114 105 219 6. Digestive Organs,.......................... 313 314 627 7. Urinary Organs, ..... 28 4 32 A. Generative Organs,.............................8 104 112 9. Locomotive Organs,.......................... 26 20 46 10. Integumentary System. .... 9 9 18 11. Old Age, . . '...................... 57 135 192 12. External Causes,........................... 240 82 322 Still Born,................................ 293 223 516 Unknown, . . . • . . .149 126 275 ____________________________________________._ 5437 4821 i 10258 In accordance with these tables, the aggregate of deaths from all causes for the year was 10,258, an excess of 1387, or 13 per cent, over those for 1851. This aggregate furnishes one death to every 39 8-10ths of a population of 409,000. Included in the above total were 913 from the Blockley alms- house, 832 blacks and 108 from the country, in all 1853. The highest number of deaths in any one month, occurred in January, amounting to 1037, making 331 deaths per day. The lowest number was in October, viz. 580 ; equal to 18f deaths per day. The mean number of deaths per day, throughout the year was 28. Of the whole number of deaths, 5049, or 49 per cent., were among children under five years of age. Of this great excess of mortality in infancy, 2800, or 27 j per cent, occurred be- fore the termination of the first year of life. In this calculation we have included the “still-born,” which amounted to 516. IIow many of these were premature, or how many had reached the full period of gestation, we have no means of ascertaining. This information would be valuable in order to show the risks of life encountered during the eventful period of partu- rition. Of the deaths from all causes, exclusive of still-born, 590, or 6 per cent., were beyond 70 years of age. Of these, 188 were over 80 ; 38 were over 90, and 7 were between 100 and 110 years of age. The most prevalent diseases in the community, and the num- ber of deaths therefrom during the year, have been as follows: Consumption of the Lungs, 1204; Dysentery, 558; Convul- sions, 499 ; Inflammation of the Lungs, 444; Scarlet Fever, 433; Small Pox, 426 ; Marasmus, 354; Debility, 345; Cholera Infantum, 329; Inflammation of the Brain, 258 ; Dropsy of the Brain, 247; Inflammation of the Bronchia?, 208; Croup, 208. In all, 5513, constituting a majority of the whole number of deaths recorded. In the aggregate of deaths wre find the preponderance on the side of the males. While those among females amounted to 4821, the male deaths were 5437, an excess of 616, or about 13 per cent., over the females. Among the “ Still-Born” the excess was 30 per cent, on the side of the males. From “ External Causes,” there were three males to one female. While among the deaths from “Old Age’ there were two females to one male. The diseases under the head of Zymotic, have contributed t very large proportion towards making up the deaths for th< year, viz. 2785, or 28-2 per cent, of the whole number. Th< Sporadic diseases caused about 13 per cent. The diseases o the Nervous System have contributed 1669, or 17 per cent Those of the Organs of Respiration 2172, or nearly 22 per ct These calculations do not include the “ Still-Born, 516.’’ The deaths, specified in the record as Consumption of tin Lungs, number 1204 : this gives one out of every 8 j death: during the year, or nearly 12 per cent. There is an increase of mortality from this disease over the year 1851, of 35 percent The deaths from Consumption for 1852, to population, is as orn to 90|. The following table presents a comparison between the dis- eases which have been most fatal, hence most prevalent, for fiv< consecutive years: ____________ Cholera Infantum, .... 454 582 505 397 329 Consumption of the Lungs, . . 965 939 907 881 1204 Congestion of the Brain, ... 85 91 97 130 120 Convulsions, ..... 401 415 444 479 499 Croup,............................. 177 130 143 180 208 Debility,.......................... 145 200 201 260 345 Diarrhoea,......................... 122 225 208 157 156 Dropsy of the Brain, . . . 220 237 283 245 247 Dysentery, ..... 315 578 421 401 558 Scarlet Fever, ..... 172 242 439 400 433 Inflammation of the Brain, . . 186 198 218 202 258 “ “ Bronchia), . 172 169 191 175 208 £- ££ Lungs, . . 265 273 352 352 444 Marasmus,.......................... 237 264 217 255 354 Old Age,........................... 188 226 185 186 192 Small Pox,......................... 100 152 40 216 426