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9
Births
The total number of live births registered during the year was 2,755
(1,408 male and 1,347 female). Of these 110 were illegitimate, being a
percentage of total births of 4-0. The numbers of live births registered
in the three years from 1952 onwards were 2,855, 2,721 and 2,747.
842 births occurred in the district (833 live, 9 stillbirths). Of this
number 102 were to residents of other districts. 2,142 (2,100 live and
42 still) birth notifications were transferred from other districts, being
mostly of births occurring to Harrow mothers in hospitals in Middlesex
or in London.
The birth rate was 12.7. The local comparability factor for births
is 1.02. The corrected birth rate was therefore 12.9; that for the country
as a whole was 15.0.
Deaths
The Register-General arranges that the information about those
who have died outside the district in which they normally reside is
Iransferred to the Health Office of those districts. These numbers are
added to the deaths of those districts, corresponding deductions being
made from the deaths allocated to any districts in respect of those who
died in ".hose districts, but who normally resided elsewhere.
Certain types of institutions are not regarded in ordinary circumstances
as the usual residence of those living there. These include
general, maternity and special hospitals, maternity homes, nursing
homes, sanatoria, convalescent homes, homes for unmarried mothers,
hotels, boarding houses, etc. On the other hand, there are many
institutions which are regarded as the usual residence of their inmates.
These include accommodation provided under Parts III and IV of the
National Assistance Act, 1948, boarding schools, convents, nursing
homes for the aged and chronic sick, nursing homes (mental) and
residential nurseries. During the year the Convent of Our Lady of
Lourdes was added to the local list of this class of institution.
1,299 persons died in this district in 1955. This figure includes
those members of the Armed Forces stationed here. Of these 150 were
°f persons who were not resident in the area. 79 deaths took place in
the various hospitals and 38 in private nursing homes.
Of the 815 deaths of the local residents which occurred outside the
district, most took place in institutions, 356 being at the Edgware General
Hospital. 194 deaths took place in hospitals just outside the district,
including 12 in nearby isolation hospitals, and 181 in various London
hospitals. Seven deaths were of infants born in hospitals outside the
district.
The total number of deaths was 1,945. The figure for 1954 was
1,790 and for 1953 was 1,925. The 2,094 of 1951 was the largest number
of deaths recorded for this district.
The death rate was 8.9 per thousand population. The rates for the
last three years were 8.7, 8.8 and 8.2.
Lability to death varies at different ages. Any changes in the agedistribution
of a population then affect the death rate; similarly, the