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BIRTHS.
During the year 1954, 834 births were registered as occurring
in the District, of which 421 were male and 413 were female, compared
with 750 in 1953. It will be seen by reference to the preceding
table that this is equal to an annual birth rate of 12.9 per
1,000 population, as compared with 11.6 in 1953, and an average
of 12.0 in the last five years.
If this rate is corrected in accordance with the RegistrarGeneral's
assessment of the atypical constitution of the population
it becomes 13.9 and this should be comparable with the birth rates
for England and Wales which were 15.2 in 1954, 15.5 in 1953, and
an average of 15.8 in the last five years.
Illegitimacy.— In 1954, of the births registered, 23 were
illegitimate (16 males and 7 females), this being 2 more than in
the preceding year. The percentage of illegitimate births was thus
the same as the lowest pre-war average.
Stillbirths.— The number of stillbirths registered during
1954 was 18 (6 males and 12 females), which is 4 more than last
year. None of the stillbirths was in respect of an illegitimate
child. The local stillbirth rate was 0.28 per thousand of population
while that for England and Wales was 0.36 in 1954.
DEATHS.
The number of deaths registered during 1954 as belonging to
this District was 914 (402 males and 512 females), which is 76 less
than last year, but still 258 more than in 1952. It will be remembered
that in 1953 a new system was introduced whereby the
Register General now attributes to this District all the deaths
occurring in the two large mental hospitals, it being suggested that
as the majority of the inpatients in these hospitals are long stay
cases, they should be regarded as forming part of the normal
population. Numerically, of course, they are included in the population,
but, their death rate being inevitably higher than the
average, the effect on the local death rate is misleading. Applying
the "comparability factor" supplied by the Registrar General, the
gross local death rate of 14.1 is decreased to a corrected one of
12.3 but it is doubtful if this is really comparable with the
national death rate of 11.3 for 1954.
In order to be able to compare more accurately the 1953—
1954 death rates, the records in respect of the normal residents
have been kept separate from those of the mental hospital patients
who would previously have been transferred to their own districts,
and as far as practicable throughout this Report a distinction has
been made between them.
The total death rate for 1954 for normal residents would have
been 8.6 but for the new system, compared with 9.9 and 10.2
in the two preceding years.
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