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4
SICKNESS.
mean for the quinquennium 1902-06, and 5.19 below last year's rate for the Metropolis.
Of the five circumjacent districts selected for comparison with the Borough, Willesden (rate
27.88) was the only one where the rate was above that of the Borough. In all five districts
last year's rate was lower than the mean, the greatest difference being recorded in Willesden
(3.13) and the least in Marylebone (0.92).

* From Quarterly Reports of the Registrar-General, but the Marylebone total corrected
for Births in Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital not belonging to that Borough.
Last year's rate, calculated on the number of women aged 15-45 years, was 2.01 below that
for 1900, lower rates being recorded in all Wards (Table 2) except Westbourne and Lancaster
Gate, West. According to the Registrar-General's returns, last year's rate for the Borough
was nearly 5.0 per 1,000 less than the mean for 1902-06(Table 3), but was exceeded by the
Willesden rate only. In that district there was a difference of over 11 per 1,000 between
rates for last year and the quinquennium 1902-06.
Illegitimate Births.—Included among the births registered in the Borough were 123 of
illegitimate children (75 boys and 48 girls), 62 of whom were born in the Workhouse. In
addition, one birth was registered as that of a legitimate child, the mother being at the
date of the birth unmarried. Twenty-eight (28) of the children were born of non-resident
mothers, 17 of them in the Workhouse. From out-lying districts 39 illegitimate births have
been credited to the Borough, of which seven, and probably more, should have been allocated
to other districts. The nett total of such births was 134 (81 of boys and 53 of girls) 3 more
than in the preceding year, and equal to 4.0 per cent. of all births, the same proportion as in
1906. The numbers belonging to each Ward are given in Table 2. These figures are,
however, somewhat unsatisfactory owing to pregnant unmarried women being received
at certain homes in the Borough and the proper home addresses of such women not being
ascertainable. The illegitimate children of such women are, of necessity, included among
the local returns and thus the number and proportion of such births to all births are unfairly
increased.
SICKNESS.
The cases of infectious disease reported during the year in accordance with the provisions
of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, numbered 904, and were 179 fewer than in 1906.
(See Table 4). The only disease showing an increase was membranous croup (6 cases last
year, none in 1906). The same numbers of cases of enteric (34) and continued (1) fevers