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1918
6
have given the number of births notified in the year, together
with those registered in the year, but not notified. The
Registrar General's figures is 965 and mine is 954.
The Registrar General gives the number of deaths here
in 1918 as 970 ; mj figure is 972. The possible explanation
for this difference may be in the fact that I have included two
deaths which occurred outside the district on December 28th
and December 31st, 1917, and were not received in time for
them to be included in the 1917 returns.
There are many features of interest in the vital statistics.
The birth-rate is the lowest on record, but the decrease as
compared with 1917 is not a considerable one. In 1917 the
birth-rate was 14 9, and in 1918 it was 14 5 per 1,000. The
effect of the war was not made very manifest on the birthrate
in Acton until 1917. There was a decreased rate of 1'8
per 1,000 in 1915 as compared with 1914, and a similar drop
in 1916 as compared with 1915. In 1917 the birth-rate was
61 per 1,000 lower than in 1916.
Since correct) records have been kept for the district the
death-rate has, for the first time exceeded the birth-rate. The
actual number of births registered was higher than the deaths
credited to the district, but the death returns do not include the
deaths of soldiers on active service, and the birth-rate is basrd
on a higher population than the death-rate.
The death-rate is the highest in the district since 190 >.
The high death-rate is mainly due to the epidemic of Influenza.
INFLUENZA.
In the realm of public health the outstanding feature has
l>een the virulent epidemic of Influenza which occurred in the
autumn mouths. Two epidemics were experienced and
although the summer one was extensive as regards number of
cases, the mortality was not a high one. It is possible that in
this district, the second epidemic wave did not attack so many
persons as the first, but it produced more severe illness and a
much higher fatality. From inquiries made in the large
.factories in the district, the absentees on account of illness
were in most instances greater in July than in October and