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designated as encephalitis lethargica, or as epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, was
observed in Japan, and it reached its height in August and September; upwards of
6,500 cases or suspected cases were reported up to September 29th. The symptoms
resembled those of encephalitis lethargica without the usual eye symptoms; moreover,
persons over 50 years of age especially suffered; the fatality was about 60
per cent. The Epidemiological Report of the Health Section of the Secretariat
of the League of Nations (December, 1924, p. 32) states "A number of the cases of
cerebrospinal meningitis are said to have been bacteriologically verified, but many of
them, especially of the suspected cases, may quite well be cases of the unidentified
epidemic disease." The writer adds, "The geographical distribution of the Japanese
epidemic becomes clearer when the declarations of all epidemic diseases of the nervous
system are combined." The important question here incidentally raised
in the Secretariat's report throws an interesting sidelight on a subject discussed
in the present report on pp. 22-27.
The developments in the County scheme for the treatment of tuberculosis,
and in the London and Home Counties' scheme relating to venereal diseases, are
referred to on p. 51 and p 48. respectively. The annual February midnight census
of homeless persons was again made in 1924. There was a reduction to a total of
82, as compared with 141 in the preceding year. The by-laws relating to houses
occupied by more than one family of persons of the working class, were during the
year further considered by the Ministry, the Council and the borough councils.
No serious difficulty arose during 1924 with regard to transmigrants passing through
London on their way to America or elsewhere.
A. Vital Statistics.
The population of the County of London at the census of 20th June, 1921,
was 4,484,523, including members of the armed forces in London, but excluding
Londoners on active service elsewhere. It is estimated by the Registrar-General
that the population with residence in London at the date of the census was about
4,524,000, allowance being made in this estimate for persons absent on holiday
when the census was taken. The Registrar-General estimates the total population
in the middle of 1924 to have been 4,586,000, including 9,495 non-civilians. The
estimated mid-vear populations of the metropolitan boroughs in 1924 are shown in
the table on p. 63.
Population.
The marriages registered in London during 1924 numbered approximately
39,488, or 17.22 per thousand of population, as compared with 39,317 and 17.21
respectively last year.
Marriages.
The births in London during 1924 numbered 85,147, this being 6,515 less than
last year. The birth-rate was 18-6 per thousand of population, as compared with
20-1 in 1923 and 20.9 in 1922. The birth-rates for each metropolitan borough
and for London as a whole will be found in the table on p. 63. The London birthrate
since 1840 is shown in the diagram on p. 6.
Births.
During the past four years the number of births in London has declined on an
average by about 4,800 yearly. If the births continue to decline at the same rate
until the next census, the population then under five years of age will be less by
about 100,000 than in 1921, when it had already declined bv over 90,000 upon the
figure for 1911.
The birth-rate has fallen almost continuously in London during the past 50
years, the rate of decrease being about 1.42 per thousand of population every five
years. In the same period the marriage-rate has remained much the same on the
average, there being only a fractional decrease per thousand of population every
five years.
In the following table the birth-rates and marriage-rates for London are shown
in quinquennial periods from 1871 to 1920 and, estimated, for 1921-1925. There is
also shown in the table what the rates for each period would have been if there
had been an even rate of decline throughout the period 1871-1915, and the difference