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14
The Notification of Births Act, 1907, was adopted throughout
the Borough, and came into operation on March 9th,
1908. Further particulars will be found as to the notifications
received under the Act and the appointment of the
Health Visitor on pages 135-136.
Returns of all Births (with addresses of mothers) that
occur in Lambeth have been obtained from the District
Registrars, and this information in conjunction with that
obtained from the Notification of Births Act has again
proved of great use in connection with the Borough
Council's endeavours to lessen the high mortality amongst
infants (under 1 year of age) by distributing pamphlets
dealing with the proper management and feeding of infants,
&c. The time allowed for birth registration is 42 days,
but this delay is detrimental to satisfactory administrative
procedure, and has been altered by the Notification of
Births Act, 1907, which limits the time of notification to 36
hours from the time of birth.
the marriage rate.
The number of Marriages registered in the Borough of
Lambeth during the year 1909 was 2,440 as compared with
2,411 during 1908, and a yearly average of 2,338 in the old
Parish of Lambeth for the 10 years 1891-1900.
The marriage-rate for Lambeth Borough during 1909 is
therefore, 15.0 per 1,000 inhabitants, as compared with 15.8
for London.
Tables B and C show the number of marriages and the
marriage-rates for the last ten years in the old Parish ol
Lambeth, and it will again be noticed that the marriage-rate
has been gradually, but persistently, falling off during that
period (as also during the previous decennium). Marriage
statistics are of little value from a public health point ol
view.