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mortality among young children. 53

The reports showed that 81 9 per cent. of all the children visited were being breast-fed
at the date of the first visit, 11.1 per cent. were fed by artificial methods (mainly bottle), and
G.8 per cent. by a combination of breast and bottle. It would be instructive to ascertain the
duration of breast feeding of infants, but such inquiry would involve the re-visiting of the
children some two or three times during the first year. Such re-visiting is impracticable with
the assistance available. Failing such information, it is desirable to note the extent to which
breast feeding is practised among infants under three months. Of 1,675 infants visited during
the first three months of life, 1,408 (a little better than 84 per cent.) were breast fed, 164 (9.7
per cent.) artificially, and 6.1 per cent. partly breast and partly artificially. Experience
indicates that such combination of feeding is not desirable. Rather more than one-fifth
(22.3 per cent.), of the children were found to be the first children born alive.
Records of the children born to and lost by 1,424 families were obtained. The total
number of children born alive was 6,268, averaging 4.4 children to a family. Five hundred
and three (503) families (35.3 per cent.) had suffered loss of 1,016 children, or an average of
over 2 per family. The ratio of deaths to children born was 162: 1,000, while that reported
in connection with the families visited during 1909 was 185: 1,000.
"Consultations" were held by the Hon. Medical Officers of the Health Society weekly
at two centres during the year, 1,930 attendances being made by 397 infants. The Society
gave grants of milk to 117 children.
MORTALITY AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN.
On the assumption that the children aged from one to five years constituted the same
proportion of the total population as at the last census, the number of such children living in
the Borough at the middle of last year was estimated to be 10,525, comprising 5,227 males,
and 5,298 females. The mortality among such children was 15.96 per 1,000, or 0.20 per
1,000 in excess of the mean rate for the preceding five years. The rates for the two sexes are
compared below.
Males. Females. Persons.
1910 18.55 13.40 15.96
1905-09 16.38 14.98 15.76
A better estimate of the numbers living can be obtained by a summation of the survivors
at each age from one to five years. The total for last year obtained by that method was