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9
One hundred and thirty-four births belonging to the Borough
took place in Institutions outside the Borough area, thus the actual
figure for Greenwich becomes 1841:- Males, 937; Females, 904.
This figure gives a Birth Rate of 17.75 per 1,000 of the
population, which is 2.31 below the average for the last ten
years. With the exception of the year 1918—a war period year
—this is the lowest rate ever recorded.
The Birth Rate for the County of London equals 17.1 per
1,000 of the population. The Birth Rate for all England and
Wales was 17.8 and 18.2 for the 105 large towns.
Illegitimate births numbered 61, representing 3.3 per cent.
of the total births.
Seventy-two illegitimate births actually were registered in the
Borough In 24 cases, however, the mothers were ordinarily
resident outside the Borough, and these births were consequently
allocated to the correct area. 13 illegitimate births belonging to
Greenwich occurred outside the Borough, thus giving the net
figure of 61.
Twenty-seven illegitimate births occurred in the Greenwich
and Deptford Hospital.
Under the provisions of the Notification of Births Act, 1907,
intimations have been received from medical men, parents and
others, with respect to 2,096 births.
DEATHS.
The nett number of deaths registered during 1926 was 1,130,
of which 610 were males and 520 females. The crude Death Rate
for the Borough, 10.89 per 1,000, is the lowest recorded since
the inception of the Borough and compares favourably with 11.6
the respective Death Rates for the County of London and the
105 large towns.
This greatly decreasing death rate with presumably a similarly
or possibly greater diminishing sickness rate, will in my opinion,
at no very distant date compel medical practitioners solely as a
means of self defence, to adopt some different method of payment
for medical services, and it seems to me that the earlier this
question is taken into serious consideration the better, before the
general death rate has fallen very much lower. I would suggest
that a system of capitation fee based on a standard death rate