London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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8
The corresponding figures for England and Wales are as follows:—
| Period. | Birth-rate per 1,000 persons living. | Period. | Birth-rate per 1,000 persons living |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851-60 | 34.1 | 1903 | 28.4 |
| 1861-70 | 35.2 | 1904 | 27.9 |
| 1871-80 | 35.4 | 1905 | 27.2 |
| 1881-90 | 32.4 | 1906 | 27.1 |
| 1891-1900 | 29.9 | 1907 | 26.3 |
| 1901 | 28.5 | 1908 | 26.5 |
| 1902 | 28.5 | 1909 | 25.6 |
The following table enables comparison to be made of the birth-rate in London with that of
the chief towns of England. It should be borne in mind, however, in contrasting the decrease of the
rate in 1909 in different towns, that these rates, being calculated per 1,000 persons living, depend
to a large extent upon the accuracy of the estimate of population, which may vary considerably.
| Town. | 1904-8. | 1909. | Town. | 1904-8. | 1909. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | Bradford | 20.8 | 18 8 | ||
| Liverpool | 32.6 | 31.1 | West Ham | 30 2 | 27.2 |
| Manchester | 29.6 | 27.8 | Newcastle.on.Tyne | 30.5 | 27.3 |
| Birmingham | 29.4 | 26.6 | Hull | 30.0 | 29.4 |
| Leeds | 26.2 | 22.8 | Nottingham | 26.8 | 25.7 |
| Sheffield | 28.2 | Salford | 30.3 | 27.9 | |
| Bristol | 25.4 | 22.6 | Leicester | 24.9 | 21.9 |
It will be seen from the following table that the decrease in birth-rate apparent in London is
shared by all the chief foreign capitals, and that the London birth-rate compares not unfavourably
with that of all the largest continental and capital towns.
| Town. | 1904-8. | 1809. | Town. | 1904-8. | 1909. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 26.51 | 24.21 | St. Petersburg | 29.5 | 27.8 |
| Paris | 19.0 | 17.7 | Berlin | 24.4 | 21.6 |
| Brussels | 18.3 | 16.8 | Vienna | 26.0 | 22.1 |
| Amsterdam | 25.7 | 23.9 | Rome | 24.0 | 22.7 |
| Copenhagen | 28.1 | 27.3 | New York | 27.7 | 26.9 |
| Stockholm | 24.2 | 23.8 |
The accompanying diagram (II.) shows the London birth-rate in each year since 1850, in
relation to the mean birth-rate of the period 1851-1909. In connection with this diagram it should be
noted that the registration of births was not made compulsory until the beginning of 1875; before that
year many births were probably unregistered. From the year 1885 onwards the births have been
corrected as far as possible by the exclusion of those which occurred in the chief lying-in institutions in
cases where the mother resided outside the County of London.
See footnote (1) page 6.