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An indication of this is that of some 2,500 persons whose names
were on the tuberculosis register at the beginning of the year, the names of
250 were deleted by the end of the year because they had moved out of
the district. It might be thought that this is a selected population.
The same factors though would not be present in the case of children
suffering from scarlet fever. 66 out of the 137 children notified to be
suffering from scarlet fever had not been born here. Most of these were
between the ages of 5 and 15. Another factor pointing to this movement
of population, one which suggests perhaps more movement out than there
is in, is the reduction in the number of cases of overcrowding.
The age distribution of the population in the country has altered
markedly in recent years. Last year 23 per cent. of the population were
under 15 years of age, 66 per cent. were between 15 and 64, and 11 per
cent. were 65 years of age or over. The corresponding proportions in
1901 were 32, 63 and 5. While in this period the proportion of those over
65 has more than doubled, the total burden falling on the producers has
in fact fallen from 37 to 34 per cent. because of the small number of
children born.
Births
The total number of live births registered during the year was 2,791
(1,418 male and 1,373 female). Of these 117 were illegitimate, being a
percentage of total births of 4.2. The numbers of live births registered
in the three years from 1953 onwards were 2,721, 2,747 and 2,755.
870 births occurred in the district (867 live, 3 stillbirths.) Of this
number 82 were to residents of other districts. 2,235 (2,188 live and 47
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 12.9. The local comparability factor for births
is 1.02. The corrected birth rate was therefore 13.1; that for the country
as a whole was 15.7.
Deaths
The Registrar-General arranges that the information about those
who have died outside the district in which they normally reside is
transferred 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 those 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.