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Annual Report on the Health and Sanitary
Condition of the City of Westminster.
1915.
To the
Mayor, Aldermen, and Councillors
of the City of Westminster.
Mr. Mayor, my Lords, Lady and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit to you my Annual Report for the
year 1915.
I have restricted the matter therein as far as possible to the Returns
required by the Local Government Board, and particulars relating to
Factories and Workshops required by the Home Office.
. It is not possible with any degree of accuracy to state what were
the birth and death rates during 1915, but from the figures given in the
report it will be seen that the total number of births was less than in
previous years, but unfortunately there was an increase in illegitimate
births. More deaths were recorded, particularly of persons in the later
years of life. Influenza and chest affections accounted for many of the
deaths, but doubtless the anxieties and strain produced by the war told
upon persons at the higher ages.
An Act of Parliament was passed during the year extending the
notification of Births Act of 1907, to enable local authorities to make
arrangements for the care of mothers, including expectant mothers, and
young children. At a time like the present, the urgent need for taking
all possible steps to secure the health of mothers and children, and to
diminish ante-natal and post-natal infant mortality is obvious, and local
authorities were urged by the Local Government Board to prepare
schemes whereby the services of hospitals and voluntary societies should
be utilised and linked up with the work of the Borough Councils, on the
lines laid down by the Board in their Memorandum of 30th July, 1914.
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