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infantile mortality. 43
infantile mortality was 121 per 1,000 births registered, showing an increase of one per
1,000 in comparison with the rate of 1909, but a decrease of 5 per 1,000 in comparison
with the mean rate for the five years 1905-09. The corresponding rate for the decennium
1900-09 was 135, and that for the first half thereof 141. (Table I, Appendix A).
The corrected number of deaths was 294, as compared with 311 in the previous year,
and the nett mortality 101 per 1,000 births. The nett rates recorded during the past four
years, viz.:—115 in 1907, 110 in 1908, 107 in 1909, and 101 in 1910, show a continuous
and steady decrease. As this is the rate which has to be used for comparing the
experiences of different districts, the following figures will be of interest:—
Quarters 1. 2. 3. 4.
1891-95 133 124 201 133
1896-1900 130 120 238 137
1901-05 130 101 156 127
1906-10 113 91 108 124
Comparing the rates for the first period with those of the last, the decreases noted in
the quarterly figures of the last period are—1st Qr., 15.1 per cent.; 2nd, 26.7 per cent.;
3rd, 53 7 per cent.; and 4th, 6.8 per cent. Such consistent changes show that the
diminution in the infantile mortality has been due to something more than the verv low
prevalence of summer diarrhoea, which has been a characteristic of the last few years.
According to the figures given in the Quarterly Reports of the Registrar-General, the
nett mortality in the Borough last year was 101 (Table 10), or 3 per 1,000 less than the mean
rate (104) for the preceding quinquennium. The highest rate recorded last year in the
circumjacent districts was that of Kensington (113) which was, however, 19 per 1,000 below
the mean rate (132) for that Borough, and the lowest that of Hampstead (62) which was 18
per 1,000 below its mean (80). Annual rates of less than 100 were also recorded last year in
Marylebone (98) and Willesden (82).*
The corrected mortality in the Borough was 97 per 1,000 (according to the
Department's records), as compared with 102 in 1909 and 105 in 1908. The mean
rate for the five years 1905-09, the longest period at present available, was 108.
The mortality among males was 107 last year (mean rate 120) and that among
females, 87 (mean rate 97). Of the rates recorded during the past vear in the
Wards, that of Church Ward (120) was the highest, and that of Lancaster Gate, West (28)
the lowest. (Table 32.) Quarterly rates for the Wards would be of much interest, but, with
the present method of obtaining the corrected number of births during the year, such rates
cannot be determined. The best rates that can be presented are those based on the corrected
numbers of deaths in each quarter and the registered numbers of births corrected for nonresident
children but not for children born in outlying districts. Such rates are, in general,
higher than the corrected rates, but are not, therefore, altogether useless. In Table 33 the
rates for each quarter of last year are compared with the mean rates for the five years
1905-09. It will be seen that the rate for the last quarter of the year was the highest of the
series, an occurrence which has been observed in previous years, but is contrary to the usual
experience. Attention will be directed to this point when dealing with the mortality from
"summer diarrhoea." In the first three quarters of the year, last year's rates were, with but
few exceptions, below the respective mean rates, but in the last quarter of the year the rates
tended to exceed the means.
* Since the above paragraph was written, the Annual Summary for 1910 has been issued by the Registrar
General. From that Summary the correctcd infantile mortality rates given in the last column of Table 10 (see
page 11) have been extracted. The rate for the Borough for last year was 96, and the average for 1905-09, 107.
In Hampstead the rate was 60 last year (average 76), and in Westminster 84 (average 103), those being the only
two districts with rates below that for the Borough.