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22
Two interesting features may be observed in the above table. Firstly,
the very high death rate among illegitimate infants, which raises the
Infantile Mortality Rate of the City and prejudices the results of the
Maternity and Child Welfare services. As is well known, these unfortunate
mothers, owing to circumstances, conceal their condition and
tend to avoid all the agencies which are instituted for their help. It is
little wonder then that they contribute both to Maternal and to Infantile
Mortality to a considerable extent. Secondly, the fallacy of interpreting
certain statistics from their face value. The Infant Mortality Rate of
Pall Mall Ward is appalling, namely, 333.3. Far from being an unhealthy
area, it is one of the best in the City as regards housing and sanitation,
but it is utterly lacking in fertility : a population of 3,572 persons
produced only 6 infants; two of these were illegitimate and they died.
Hence the high rate.
The following table is inserted by courtesy of the Medical Officer of
Health, Poplar, who collected the data. The comparative figures are
interesting.