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??? 1918
???
The annul distribution of Ms returns of births and
deaths and estimates of population for the past year affords the
Register General an opportunity of directing the attention of
Medical officers of health and others using the returns to some
points upon which experience has shewn that miss understanding's
tend to arise.
1. The year to which these returns' refer is the calendar
year 1918. The numbers of births and deaths registered must
differ slightly on this account from the records for the most
nearly corresponding fifty two weeks.
2. The "death - rate population" excludes all
non - civiliansmales, whether serving at home or abroad. This
is necessary for the purposes of local death - rates because it
has proved impossible to transfer the deaths of non - civilians
to their areas of residence or to deal in any other satisfactory
Manner with the Local mortality of this element in the
population. These estimates are based mainly upon the
rationing returns kindly placed at the Registrar General's
disposal by the Ministry of Food.
The "birth - rate (and marriage - rate) population"
on the other hand is intended to include all the elements of the
population contribution to the birth and marriage rates. It
consists therefore of the death - rate or civilian population
plus all non - civilians enlisted from this country, whether
serving at home or abroad. This non - civilian element has
been distributed over all the districts in the country in
proportion to their estimated civilian population.
3. The classification of some deaths is modified in the
light of fuller information obtained from the certifying
practitioner in response to special enquiries. The principal
subjects of these inquiries are indicated in a table published
in the yearly reports of the Registrar General. and this
possible source of discropency between the returns of the
Registrar General and those complied locally should be borne
in mind particularly in regard to the cause of death dealt
with in that table.
4. If it is desired to ??? criticise the figures
supplied this should be done at an early data. Every effort
wil1 made in that case to clear up any points of serious
difference from locally complied returns and to amend the
Registrar General's figures if those prove to be in error, put
it will be impossible for him to entertain any suggestion for
their alteration unless made within a few weeks of their
circulation to local authorities.
General Register office,
Somerset House
London W. C. 2.
31st March 1919.