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
Islington 1903
Forty-eighth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Borough of Islington
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21
[1903
If the birth-rates of the five years around the two last census years,
namely 1889-93, and 1899-1903, were calculated on the number of legitimate
births and number of married women living at the child-bearing ages, it would
have been in the first period, 238 births per 1,000, while in the second period it
would have been only 211 births per 1,000, which is a decrease of 27 per 1,000.
Again, in the five years 1889-93, the average birth-rate among unmarried women at the child-bearing ages was 6.61 per 1 ,000, while in the five years 1899-1903 it was only 5.28, a decrease of 1.33 per 1 ,000.
| 1889-93. | 1899-1903. | Increase or Decrease. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of unmarried women and widows at child-bearing ages | 45,032 | 47,711 | + 2,689 |
| Average number of married women at child-bearing ages | 39,152 | 42,598 | + 3,446 |
| Births per 1,000 unmarried women and widows at child-bearing ages | 6.6i | 5.28 | -1.33 |
| Births per 1,000 married women at child-bearing ages | 237.6 | 211.3 | -26.3 |
| Number of Births among unmarried women and widows at child-bearing ages | 1,488 | 1,258 | -230 |
| Number of Births among married women at child-bearing ages | 46,524 | 45,015 | -1,509 |
This table brings this fact clearly out that although the number of women
capable of bearing children had largely increased yet the number of children
borne by them had largely decreased. So far as the births among unmarried
women are concerned it is most satisfactory to be able to record a decrease
of 20.2 per cent, in the birth-rate. (Can it, however, be taken as a sign of the
decrease of immorality) ? but it is very questionable whether the large decline
of 11.1 per cent, in the birth-rate among married women can be equally
considered a matter for congratulation. It is idle to speculate on the causes,
which have latterly been a matter for grave consideration both in England, the
Continent and the United States, and one of which was mentioned in the
Report for 1902.