London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Paddington 1900

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]

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4
[Appendix IV.
TABLE 4.
Illegitimate Births and Birth.rates.
Year.
Births Registered.
Birth.rates per 1,000 of
Population.
Illegitimate
Births
per 100
Legitimate.
Legitimate.
Illegitimate.
Total.
Legitimate.
Illegitimate.
Total.
1890
2,741
160
2,901
23.4
1.36
24.8
5.51
1891
2,807
145
2,952
23.7
1.22
25.0
4.91
1892
2,792
142
2,934
23.4
1.18
24.6
4.77
1893
2,885
126
3,011
23.9
1.04
24.9
4.18
1894
2,686
148
2,834
21.9
1.21
23.2
5.22
1895
2,854
125
2,979
23.1
1.01
24.1
4.19
1896
2,949
119
3,068
23.6
0.94
24.6
4.03
1897
2,903
107
3,010
23.0
0.84
23.8
3.68
1898
2,844
121
2,965
22.3
0.95
23.2
4.25
1899
2,811
129
2,940
21.8
0.99
22.8
4.58
Averages
1890.99
2,827
132
2,959
23.01
1.04
24.10
4.67
1900
2,752
138
2,890
21.07
1.05
22.13
5.01
VACCINATION.
The returns of vaccination during the past year are not yet complete. Those for 1899 are
very nearly the same as those of 1898, and show that 14.6 per cent.* of the children born (in 1899)
escaped vaccination from one cause or another, compared with 14.7 in 1898. In the first half of
1900 the percentage unaccounted for (see Table 5) was 16.6, a somewhat lower figure than that of
1899 (18.2). The slight increase in vaccination .was probably due to the presence of small.pox in
the Parish.†
Towards the end of last summer a Parliamentary Paper was issued (H.C. 354, Session 1900)
showing the number of certificates of conscientious objection received by the vaccination officers
during the year 1899, and the number of certificates of successful primary vaccinations received
during the years 1898 and 1899.
With respect to certificates of conscientious objection, it appeared that no certificates were
received in 21 Unions, that under 100 certificates were received in each of 544 Unions, in
numbers ranging from 100 to 500 in 77 Unions, and in excess of 500 in 10 Unions. The children
thus left exposed to the full virulence of small.pox numbered 32,357, or 3 48 per cent, of those
whope births were registered during the year.
* It should be noted that the percentages "unaccounted for " are based on total births, and consequently understate
the proportion of children surviving unvaccinated.
† The influence which the occurrence of small.pox has on the amount of vaccination performed was indicated in
the Annual Report for 1898, pp. 10 and 11.