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6
The Holborn birth-rate was 19.2 per 1,000 in comparison with 18.3 for the
preceding year. The London rate was 25.2 in comparison with 25.6 for the
preceding year.
The Holborn death-rate, 15.7, and the London death-rate 13.8 per 1,000 are
both the lowest death-rates recorded. The lowest death-rates in previous years in
Holborn were 16'6 in 1907, 16.9 in 1905, and 17.0 in 1906. The average
death-rate for the preceding decennium was 19.5 per 1,000, and for London 16.7
per 1,000.
The corrected infantile mortality was 111 compared with 113 for London,
which are both the lowest recorded. Last year these rates were 131 and 116
respectively.
The death-rate from zymotic diseases in Holborn was again very low, and for
the sixth year in succession, below that for London, viz.: l.02 in comparison with
1.35 for London. Both are less than the preceding year, and it is the lowest rate
recorded for Holborn.
The death-rate from phthisis was 1.89 per 1,000 in comparison with 132 per
1,000 for London. Both rates were also the lowest recorded. In Holborn nearly
30 per cent, of the deaths were of persons who had been removed to Infirmaries
from common lodging houses. The rates of the preceding decennium were 2.66
in Holborn and 1.56 in London.
Although there was increased prevalence of scarlet fever and enteric fever,
the number of notifications was again small, having been 316 in comparison with
a decennial average of 425. The notification rate for Holborn was again lower
than for London generally being 5.8 per 1,000 in comparison with 7.5 for London.
For each of the past seven years the Holborn notification rate has been lower
than the London rate.
The Council agreed, with the sanction of the Local Government Board, to
supply anti-diphtheritic serum free of charge to the poor inhabitants of the
Borough on the application of medical practitioners.
The London County Council, with the approval of the Local Government
Board, made an order for the extension of the notification of cases of cerebrospinal
fever (epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis) for a further period of 12 months,
and a further order has since been issued extending the notification for 12 months
from March 13th, 1909.
The London County Council has also recently made an order requiring the
notification of cases of glanders, anthrax and hydrophobia in man.
The Third Interim Report of the Royal Commission on Human and Animal
Tuberculosis gives details of a series of experiments which show that not only cows
with tuberculosis of the udder but all tuberculous cows should be excluded from
cowsheds.