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With a view to correcting these differences as far as possible, a factor has been calculated, based
upon observations made in Sweden during the period 1891-1900 of the number of accouchements
at certain periods of life occurring among all married women aged 15—45. No statistics relating to the
United Kingdom of this kind are available for recent years, but the Swedish figures do not differ very
widely from those relating to Edinburgh and Glasgow for the year 1855. The results of the application
of the corrective factor to the figures of the quinquennium 1905-9 are as follows:—

With regard to the standard adopted here and elsewhere in this report in connection with the
grouping of the sanitary districts in order of "social condition," it may be stated that in tables dealing
with figures going back to 1901, or tables which have appeared in previous reports, the grouping of
the London boroughs in five groups of different social condition is based upon the percentage of
persons living in overcrowded tenements of less than five rooms in each borough, as shown by the
1901 census. In tables prepared this year for the first time, or tables dealing with figures for recent
years only, however, the grouping is based upon the percentage of children aged 5—14 in each borough
scheduled by the London County Council for education in its schools. The scheduling of children
for this purpose is conducted annually by the Council and the question whether or not a child is to
be scheduled depends upon various circumstances which, it is thought, taken together form a general
measure of " social condition."
The children scheduled are:—
Those residing in houses rated at £28 or less; in houses at a higher rating for which the
landlord is rated; in houses let in lodgings to monthly or weekly tenants; in servants' dwellings,
such as gardeners' cottages, stables with living rooms, etc.; in houses containing a child on the roll
of a public elementary school; in other houses ascertained to contain or likely to contain children
of a similar class or any children of a higher class whose education it is supposed has been neglected;
and, lastly, in canal boats registered in the Administrative County of London.
It should be noted, however, that we can only arrive at the percentage of children thus scheduled
by relying upon an estimated total children between the ages of 5 and 14 in each borough. These
estimates are based upon the population in 1907 as calculated for the purposes of rate.equalisation
(see page 95). If there has been a movement of the population peculiar to persons of one social status,
the comparisons made in the tables referred to will be to some extent affected. In this connection,
reference may be made to Diagram IV., from which it will be seen that the " all causes " and phthisis
death-rates, which it is common knowledge vary closely with social condition, show a very regular
gradation from the first to the fifth group ; it is, therefore, reasonable to assume that the somewhat
less regular gradation exhibited in other rates cannot result merely from error in the population
estimates upon which the rates are based.
Notification of births.
In the last annual report it was stated that the Notification of Births Act had been adopted
by all but eight of the London sanitary authorities. On the 23rd March, 1909, the Council resolved to
ask the Local Government Board to declare by Order that the Act shall be in force in the areas of
See footnote (1) page 6.