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births. 5
Of the 2,631 children notified as born alive during the past year, 67 (including
9 illegitimates) were dead when their births were registered. These deaths were equivalent to
2.58 per cent. of all live-birth notifications, and 23.33 per cent. of the live-born illegitimate
children. (See below)

III.—DEATHS.
The deaths registered within the Borough increased during the past year, the uncorrected
total being 1,784 or 117 more than in 1920. That difference is more than accounted for by
the increase in the number of deaths in public institutions—838 in 1921 against 709 in 1920.
The annual average for 1914-18 was 2,032 and the maximum for any year since 1911, 2,304
(1915). The crude death-rate (gross mortality) was 12.25 per 1,000 persons, which compares
favourably with the average for the five years 1911-15 of 14.60 per 1,000, the comparison being
even more favourable if, as is believed, the actual population was last year in excess of the
total given by the Census.
The corrected number of deaths was 1,758 last year, the lowest total for any year since
1911 with the exception of that for 1920 (1,707). The corrected mortality rate for last year
was 12.06 per 1,000, as compared with an average of 14.07 for the five years 1911-15 (see
Table II).
Taking the annual average for 1909-13 (1,887) as the standard (=100) the following Index
Numbers are obtained—
index numbers.
1914-18 110; 1919 101; 1920 90; and 1921 93.
In Table III., the complete series of Index Numbers for the Wards for the years given
above, will be found. It will be noted that in three Wards, viz. Westbourne, and the two
Lancaster Gates, the Numbers have been consistently in excess of the standard, i.e., the deaths
have exceeded the average for 1909-13. Until the final figures obtained at the last Census are
published it is not possible to offer any explanation for the higher mortality rates in those
Wards which the index Numbers more than suggest.
Sex-Age Distribution.—The data required for the calculation of sex-age mortality rates not
being at present available, Table IV., is submitted in which the actual numbers of deaths and
the Index Numbers derived from them are to be found. The Numbers for males are higher at
ages 15-25 and 45 and upwards, those for females showing increases at ages 25-35 and 55-85.
It is satisfactory to observe that not only are the Numbers for the ages 0-15 consistently
below 100, but also that those for last year did not increase.
Cause of Death.—Table IX., shows the numbers of deaths due to various causes of death
distinguishing sex and age, and Table IXa. gives two sets of Index Numbers based (a) on the
annual averages for the prœ-war quinquennium of 1909-13 and (b) for the war quinquennium,
1914-18. As the majority of the diseases included in those Tables will form subjects of special
paragraphs of this Report, comment at this stage appears to be unnecessary.
IV.—VACCINATION.
Table VI. contains the latest return of the results of the Vaccination Acts bringing the
figures down to the end of 1920. The proportion of children not protected by vaccination
during the first year of life was 28.3 per cent. in 1920, a proportion which was lower than
those recorded during the three years 1917-18. During 1909-13 the unprotected children
formed 20.5 per cent., and during 1914-18, 28.2. On the whole there was an improvement in
the vaccination of children, but the proportion of the community not protected against
smallpox is dangerously large.