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9
There is a notable decrease in the births in the Strand Ward, due to
the clearances in progress, but, on the other hand, the filling up of the
Millbank Estate is raising the St. John's rate.
The births are arranged according to the old divisions of the City in
Table III. and the comparative rates are shown in Table IV. These are
uncorrected for births outside the City.
Deaths.
2,899 deaths were registered in the City in the 53 weeks ending the
3rd January, 1903. After deducting 906 deaths of non-citizens in
public institutions in the City, and adding those of 959 citizens who died
in other districts, the corrected total is 2,952, and is equivalent to
an annual rate of 16 0 per thousand persons. The London death-rate
for the same period was 17*7, and for England and Wales 16.3, which is
the lowest rate on record, the only previously recorded rates below 17
per 1,000 having been 16.5 in 1894 and 16.9 in 1901.
The rates were, in each instance, below the average of the preceding
ten years, to the following extent:—The City l.6 per 1,000, London
1.3 per 1,000, and England and Wales 1.6 per 1,000. In making the
calculations allowance has been made for 53 weeks in the year 1902.
A Factor for Correction of Death-rates.—Following on the method
adopted by the Registrar General in dealing with the statistics of the
large towns of England and Wales, Mr. Shirley Murphy, the Medical
Officer of the County Council, has calculated out a "factor" whereby
differences in the age and sex constitution of the population may be
removed. This is arrived at by obtaining the age and sex distribution
of the population of a district at the last census, and after ascertaining
the death-rate for each sex, at each age period, in England and Wales
during the last ten years, a calculation is made of the number of deaths
which would have occurred in the district had similar rates been
obtained, thus a "standard" death-rate is obtained. The difference
between this rate and that for England and Wales, is, on the above
assumption, due to differences in the age and sex constitution on
the population of the district, and dividing the latter by the former a
factor is obtained for correcting the crude death-rate of the district.
The following table shows the rates corrected in this way for the
year 1901:—