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BIRTHS. 3
recorded during the past year (1,461.75 hours) is second to the record of 1907 (1,580 hours),
the numbers of days of record in the two years being 285 and 292 respectively. The increase
in the number of days of recorded bright sunshine during the past few years is a very
satisfactory feature, and suggests that the atmospheric conditions of London are improving,
probably in consequence of the reduced emission of smoke.
BIRTHS.
The births registered within the Borough during the past year (53 weeks) numbered
3,149, an increase of 75 above the total for the preceding year (52 weeks), and equal to an
uncorrected rate* of 20.58 per 1,000 persons. Last year's total was 145 less than the
decennial average (3,249) and the rate (20.58) 2.03 less-than the mean (22.61). (Sec Table I.,
Appendix A.) Last year's rate is lower than any of the rates recorded since 1875, and is
believed to be the lowest on record, the slight (apparent) increase above that for 1907 being,
it is thought, due to some shortening of the normal interval between the dates of birth and
the registration thereof, brought about by the adoption of the Notification of Births Act
during the past summer.
The births registered locally comprised 1,609 of boys and 1,540 of girls, 104 of the
children, viz., 58 boys and 46 girls, being dead at the date of registration of their births.
There were 35 twin births, 8 of males, 17 of girls and 10 of mixed sexes. Three sets of twins
died at or very shortly after their birth. The births in the Workhouse Lying-in Wards
numbered 96, 22 of the children being the offspring of non-residents. The total number of
children born in the Borough whose parents were non-residents, was 69, while 216 children of
residents were born beyond the Borough.† Deducting the former and adding the latter, a
nett total of 3,296 births is obtained equivalent to a corrected rate of 21.48 per 1,000 persons,
which is 0.05 above that for 1907, but 0.52 below that for 1906. In Table 2 will be found
the corrected births distributed according to the addresses of the parents, and the corresponding
rates during the past two years. Increases in the rates for Queen's Park (0.82), Harrow
Road (1.22) and Westbourne (0.87) Wards will be noted, the rates in the other Wards being
lower. In Table 3 a comparison is made between the rates for the Borough, the adjacent
districts and the Metropolis. In this case the numbers recorded by the Registrar-General
have been used, except as regards St. Marylebone, where the figure has been corrected for
the births of non-resident children in Queen Charlotte's Hospital. The local rate per 1,000
persons (20.46) is considerablv below those for the Metropolis (25.33) and Willesden (25.97),
but above all those for the adjacent districts, among which that for Hampstead (14.35) is the
lowest. In every case last year's rate is below the quinquennial mean, the greatest decrease
(4.27) being recorded in Willesden and the least (0.69) in Hampstead. The decrease in the
Borough rate amounted to 1.19 per 1,000. In both Tables rates are given based on the
estimated numbers of females aged from 15 to 45 years, but, having regard to the uncertainty
attaching to the estimates, it is unnecessary to do more than direct attention to the
presentation of the rates.
* Throughout this Report the rates, based on the totals for the 53 weeks constituting the year, have been
corrected to correspond with rates derived from the records of a year of 52 weeks.
† Of the 216 children, 201 were born in Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital, 13 in other Maternity Hospitals
in the Metropolis, and 2 at private addresses. It is believed that the total given does not represent the complete
number of births which should be added, but it represents the best information obtainable under present
circumstances.