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Compared with ten years ago, there is a considerable falling
off not only in the birth-rate but also in the actual number of
births. The year 1912 is taken as an average year with an interval
of ten years, though in 1912 there was not only a diminished
birth-rate, but there were less births registered in the district
than in the immediately preceeding years.
The birth-rate in 1922 was 19.3 compared with 25.7 in 1912
—a decrease of 25 per cent.
The number of births registered in 1922 was 1,203, compared
with 1,517 in 1912—a decrease of 21 per cent.
The decrease was not uniform throughout the district. For
instance the figures for the four Wards were as follows:
n. east n. west s. east s. west
Decreased number Same 22% 42% 20%
Decreased rate 10% 30% 40% 22%
Deaths.—Four hundred and four deaths were registered in
the district; of these 14 belonged to non-residents. Two hundred
and fourteen deaths of residents occurred outside the district.
The total number of deaths belonging to the district is 632.
The nett number of deaths corresponds to a death-rate of
10.1 per 1,000 inhabitants, which is the lowest recorded death-rate
for the district.
On Table 1 will be found the death-rates for England and
Wales, Etc., and it will be seen that the death-rate of the district
is lower than that of England and Wales, the 106 Great Towns,
the 155 Smaller Towns and of London.
Compared with 1921, there is a fairly uniform decrease in
deaths from most diseases. The most notable exceptions are the
deaths from Cancer and Organic Heart Disease.
Seventy-two deaths occurred from Cancer, compared with
70 in 1921 and 57 in 1920.
Allowing for the more accurate diagnosis of to-day, there is
no reasonable doubt as to Cancer being on the increase.