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13
expected that this high rate will he continued for long,
as there is a natural ageing of the population which
means that a higher proportion are passing the age of
fertility.
The illegitimate birth rate continues to be very low,
being only 1.72 per cent, of total births. Comparable
figures for other districts for the year under review are
not to hand, but it would surprise me to learn that there
is another large town in the country with a rate as low
as that of Dagenham. The rate of illegitimate stillbirths
is 3.23 per cent, of total stillbirths.
Death Rate.
Total deaths in district 332
Outward transfers 76
Inward transfers 415
Deaths of residents 671
Of the 76 deaths of non-residents occurring in the
district, 57 took place at the West Ham Sanatorium
and 10 at the Joint Isolation Hospital.
Of the 415 deaths of local residents taking place
outside this area, most occurred in institutions. Of
these 240 occurred at Oldchurch Hospital, 21 at King
George Hospital, Ilford, 10 at Epping Infirmary, six
at Charing Cross Hospital, eight at the London Hospital,
six at The Retreat, Billericay, five at Queen Mary's
Hospital, Stratford, four at East Ham Memorial
Hospital, 35 at Orsett Lodge and two at Mental
Hospitals.
658 deaths in a population of 105,500 represent a
death rate of 6.24 compared with 12.4 for England and
Wales. For the years from 1927 to 1936 inclusive, the
local rates were 7.0, 7.3, 8.3, 6.6, 7.2, 6.5, 6.5, 6.6, 5.63
and 6.43.
A table giving the causes of death, and the age
periods at which they occurred, is given at the end of
the report.