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BIRTHS.
During the year 1955, 843 births were registered as occurring
in the District, of which 434 were male and 409 female, compared
with 834 in 1954. 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, which was the same as last year. The average for the
last five years was 12.0.
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 was 15.2 in 1954, 15.0 in 1955, and
an average of 15.3 in the last five years.
Illegitimacy.— In 1955, of the births registered, 21 were
illegitimate (10 males and 11 females), this being 1 less than in
the preceding year. The percentage of illegitimate births was thus
below the lowest pre-war average.
Stillbirths.— The number of stillbirths registered during
1955 was 17 (6 males and 11 females), which is 1 less than last
year. None of the stillbirths was in respect of an illegitimate
child. The local stillbirth rate was 19.8 per thousand live and still
births while that for England and Wales was 23.1 in 1955.
DEATHS.
The number of deaths registered during 1955, as belonging to
this District was 917, (401 males and 516 females), which is 3
more than last year, and 261 more than in 1952. It will be remembered
that in 1953 a new system was introduced whereby the
Registrar 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 0 is decreased to a corrected one of
12.2 but it is doubtful if this is really comparable with the national
death rate of 11.7 for 1955.
In order to be able to compare more accurately the 1953—
1955 death rates with similar rates prior to 1953, 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 1955 for normal residents would have
been 9.2 but for the new system, compared with 8.6, 9.9 and 10.2
in the three preceding years.
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