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15
the custody) of a child named C. D., who was born on the day of
,19 , do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare that
I conscientiously believe that vaccination would be prejudicial to the health of
the child, and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the
same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration
Act, 1853.
Dated this day of , 19
Signed A. B.
Declared before me, at on the day of
E. F.
A Commissioner for Oaths (or Justice
of the Peace, or other Officer
authorised to receive a Statutory
declaration).
On the 21st September last, the President of the Local Government Board
issued a Vaccination Order to Boards of Guardians of every Poor Law Union
in England and Wales, requiring Registrars of Births to give printed notice
to parents of all children born after the 31st day of August, 1907, acquainting
them of the new means of obtaining exemption, and to furnish them with a
copy of the required form of declaration.
Common sense is wholly opposed to any relaxation of the law requiring
that all persons should be protected by vaccination, and the passing of this
Act is a retrograde step, much to be deplored and at variance with the
teaching of science. It would have been far better for the legislation to have
made a forward movement and carried a Bill making re-vaccination compulsory,
as obtains in Germany.
MORTALITY.
During the year under review, 853 deaths were registered in the District,
including *692 persons dying in the City, but not belonging thereto. See
Table, p. 20, for details.
Deducting the latter 161 deaths remain, to which must be added 97 persons
who died at City Institutions in outside districts, where they were registered.
The mortality, therefore, from which the City death rate is calculated is 258.
The death rate for 1907 was 12.7 per 1,000 per annum of the population
(the previous year being 13.0), whilst that for the whole of the Metropolis
was 14.6. These figures are not corrected for sex and age distribution.
These deaths occurred in St. Bartholomew's Hospital.