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
Wandsworth 1918
Annual report on the health, sanitary condition, &c., of the Borough for the year1918
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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Births
During the 52 weeks ending the 28th December, 1918, 4,685
births, 2,389 of males and 2,296 of females, were registered, compared
with 4,936 in 1917.
The total number of births registered in this Borough was
4,453, but 261 births occurred in Institutions outside the Borough
of persons belonging to the Borough, and 29 births in Institutions
in the Borough of persons not belonging to the Borough, making a
corrected total of 4,685. The diminution in the number is doubtless
due to war conditions.
In Table II. is shown the number of births, males and females,
the birth-rate, and the rate of natural increase for each sub-district,
and for the whole Boroueh.
TABLE II.
| Sub-District. | Births. | Rates. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Birth-Rate. | Rate of natural increase. | |
| Clapham | 417 | 428 | 845 | 13.69 | — 2.37 |
| Putney | 185 | 184 | 369 | 12.40 | — 1.96 |
| Streatham | 810 | 720 | 1,530 | 15.10 | — .05 |
| Tooting | 325 | 286 | 611 | 16.14 | +1.72 |
| Wandsworth | 652 | 678 | 1,330 | 13.70 | — 1.11 |
| Whole Borough | 2,389 | 2,296 | 4,685 | 14.29 | — .78 |
This is the first time on record that the number of deaths has
exceeded the number of births, causing the rate of natural increase
to be a minus quantity in the whole Borough, and in four of the
sub-districts.
This is due to two causes, first the low birth rate, and second
the unusually severe mortality from Influenza during the autumn.
79 births occurred in the Workhouse, 50 of which belonged
to the Borough.
368 illegitimate births took place in the Borough, 35 of these
belonging to Clapham, 18 to Putney,. 217 to Streatham, 30 to