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94, Wandsworth 99, Greenwich 100, Stoke Newington 100; the
highest in Shoreditch 150, Southwark 138, Bethnal Green 138,
Holborn 131, and Finsbury 130.
The general decrease throughout England and Wales was
due in some measure to the prevalence during the summer
months of climatic conditions, unfavourable to epidemic
diarrhoea, one of the chief causes of infant mortality.
In the Borough of Lewisham the infant mortality rate
amounted to 90 per 1,000 births, compared with 113 in the preceding
year, and 108, the mean rate for the five years 1902-6.
It is a matter for congratulation that we can record such
a low infant mortality rate, which is the second lowest in
London, and ties for the fourth place amongst the 76 Great
Towns of England and Wales. It is the lowest rate recorded in
the history of Lewisham during any period for which statistics
are available.
Although we may congratulate ourselves upon this
reduced rate, there still remains much to be done to minimise
the terrible wastage of life among infants under three months.
This is a most fatal period, and although the deaths under one
year have been considerably reduced, there is practically no
reduction under three months as the following figures will
show:—

These figures emphasise the fact of the necessity of
beginning at the earliest possible moment to place those in need
of advice upon the right track.