London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Friern Barnet 1915

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Friern Barnet]

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2
Knowing that building operations were particularly
extensive in the years 1912 and 1913, and that the rate
books show that these houses were quickly occupied, it
is obvious that the Registrar-General's figure is too low
for the purpose of calculating our rates in 1915.
The method used by the Registrar-General was to
take the ratio of the total population less the males (aged
15-65) to the number of females (aged 15-65) in 1911.
and to apply this factor to the number of females (aged
15-65) on the National Register of 1915, the resulting
product, plus the males (aged 15-65) on the National
Register, was assumed to be the civil population for 1915.
There is no guarantee that the National Register has
fully enumerated the population (aged 15-65) and further,
the Registrar-General has assumed that the ratio between
the females (aged 15-65) to the number of children
below 15 years of age, in 1911, is the same in 1915.
By following my usual method, my estimate will be
too high by the number of male absentees, and these
numbered in the middle of 1915 approximately 500.
North. South. Central. Total.
Houses occupied ... 636 1,293 985 2.914
„ unoccupied ... '21 53 23 97
Estimated Population ... 3,434 6,982 5,319 15,735
This latter total is the figure I have used in the
tables of statistics required by the Local Governmeint
Board.
Deaths.
These numbered 325, 126 in the district and 199 in
the Asylum; 205 were transferred away from the district,
leaving a nett number belonging to the district of 120.
The nett death-rate based on my estimate of the
population is 10.1, allowing for absentees, this is increased
to 10.4, and using the Registrar's estimated population,
it becomes 12.0.
Infantile Deaths.
The deaths under 1 year numbered 34, giving a
death-rate of 105 per 1,000 births; this is somewhat