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9
Legitimacy.
The following figures give the number of births:—
Legitimate.
Male.
539
Female.
499
Total.
1038
Illegitimate.
Male.
23
Female.
13
Total.
36
Infant Mortality.
The figure obtained under this heading is regarded as a
valuable index of the sanitary conditions of a district. Furthermore,
as it is based on ascertained facts (i.e., the actual numbers of
births and infants deaths), it is more reliable than the death-rate
which is calculated on an estimated population.
The rate for 1920 is 57 per 1,000 births. This is by far the
lowest figure on record, and the district is to be congratulated on
the appreciable fall that has taken place. The rates for England
and Wales and for London during the same period were 80 and
75 respectively.
In 1912 the rate for this district was 85, and in 1918 it was
86 ; these were the lowest figures previously recorded.