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(2). Births. Taking the Borough as a whole there has been a
gradual decline in the birth-rate, which is equally true of the whole country.
The birth-rate has been fairly stationary at 32 to 34 per 1,000 in the Limehouse
District (Limehouse, Ratcliff, Shadwell and Wapping) for the last 30
years. It has never been below 32 nor above 34 per 1,000 during this period.
In Mile End Old Town for 16 years previous to 1906, the annual birthrate—with
one exception—ranged from 36 to 38 per 1,000, but since 1909 it
has been below 30 per 1,000. In St. George's during the first-mentioned
period the birth-rate was always above 40 per 1,000,—on three occasions
being 44 per 1,000, and on five occasions being 43.- During the last 7 years
it has been under 30 in each year.
The greatest reduction has been in the Whitechapel District, (Whitechapel,
Mile End New Town, Spitalfields, &c.) Pievious to 189?, the birth-rate was
always above 40 per 1,000. From 1897 to 1912 it fluctuated from 30 to 40
per 1,000. Sincc the latter year, however, it has gradually declined until it
lias reached a figure below 20 per 1,000 during the last 6 years.
(3). Death-rate. Taking the total deaths for the four districts
which now form the Borough of Stepney, the combined death-rate for the
10 years previous to 1901 had not been below 21 per 1,000. It has never
been as high as 21 per 1,000 since the Council has been in existence. The
improved conditions have been more marked in the Limehouse and St.
George's districts than in the other parts of the Borough. Previous to 1901
the annual death-rates in these two districts were from 25 to 29 per 1,000,
whereas since 1908 the death-rates have been—with one exception,—below 20
per 1,000, and during the last three years they have been below 15 per 1,000.
These figures are calculated on the revised estimate of the population of
the census of 1921.
(4). Infantile Mortality. Satisfactory as the reduction in the
general death-rate must be considered to be, the lowering of the rate of infantile
mortality is still more satisfactory. In 1901, the infantile mortality for the
whole of the Borough was 165 per 1,000 births. This was due to the fact
that infantile mortality in the Limehouse district was 211 per 1,000 births
and 184 in St. George's. In fact the average infantile mortality for 10 years
previous to 1902 had been above 200 per 1,000 births in the Limehouse
district, and the latter had, in those years, the highest infantile mortality in
London, and one of the highest throughout the whole country. Twentythree
years ago, I strongly recommended the late Limehouse District Board
of Works to appoint a Health Visitor to instruct mothers in the proper care