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14
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1940.
The crude death-rate for the year was 16.91 compared with
11.75 in 1939, but after correction has been made by means of a
comparability factor devised by the Registrar-General, the
standardised rate becomes 15.21, as against 10.92 for 1939.
Two factors have contributed to the large increase in the
general death-rate over that of the precious year, viz., the material
increase in the number of deaths recorded and the large reduction
in the estimated population on which the rate is calculated.
The death-rate for the whole of London for 1940 was 17.8
and for England and Wales, 14.3.
Table II. is the general mortality Table for the whole Borough,
and shows the corrected number of deaths from each cause divided
into sexes, age groups and sub-districts, together with those
occurring in Institutions.
Of the 2,435 Borough residents who died in institutions,
etc., 216 took place in institutions within the Borough and 2,219
in institutions outside.
Infantile Mortality.
The number of deaths under one year was 168, the infantile
mortality rate being 45 per 1,000 births. This, the lowest rate
ever recorded, compares with rates of 47 and 46 for the two
previous years and an average of 55 for the last 10 years. For
the 10 years ended 1918 the average rate was 87.
The rate for the whole of London was 50 per 1,000 births.
Maternal Mortality.
Nine deaths occurred from accidents and diseases of pregnancy
and childbirth. This is equivalent to a rate of 2.38 per 1,000
births,