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Excluding Whooping Cough, our death-rate for each disease in this
group was an improvement on 1908, and lower than the permissible.
The death-rate from Measles was less than in the preceding year,
half that of the "Great Towns," and less than in the country generally.
The deaths from Scarlet Fever were no greater than for the country
generally, and less than in the "Great and Smaller Towns" of England.
Diphtheria caused six fewer deaths than in 1908, and our death-rate
from this disease was considerably less than that prevailing in the rural
or urban districts of England and Wales. Since 1898 our decline in
deaths rate from this disease has steadily fallen from 1 per 1,000 to
1 per 10,000 of the population, largely due, I believe, to the facilities
given by your Authority for treatment and isolation.
The deaths of children under 1 year of age were nearly 100 less than
in 1908—a year most favourable to child-life—and our infantile mortality
rate in consequence is the lowest ever recorded.
The rate is considerably less than that of the "Great Towns," and
Huddersfield, and less than that of rural England.
Our birth-rate, unlike the death-rates, shows no improvement, and
now approximates that of the country generally.
In this respect we are not alone Of the remaining seven large districts
within the Metropolitan outer ring, Tottenham, West Ham, and
Willesden only have a higher birth-rate.
The same influences seem to be in operation in town and country,
and the high birth-rates of former years are not likely to be repeated.
Economic conditions explain in part the lessened birth-rate, but the
main influence is the changes resulting from the better education of
women and their consequent more self-reliance.
This is reflected in the age incidence of those marrying. While
the marriage-rate now is no less than in 1886, a continuous decrease
has taken place in the marriage-rates of persons 15-25 years, and a
proportionate increase above these ages.