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6
The infantile mortalities of the eight Wards of the Borough are contained in
Table VI. (Appendix). The mortality was highest in Church Ward, where it
amounted to 196, and lowest in Acton, where it was 118 per 1,000 births. For
England and Wales the infantile mortality during 1913 was 109 and for London
104. Generally throughout the country the infantile mortality was higher than in
1912.
During the year attention was directed by Dr. Addison, M.P., to the marked
difference between the infantile mortalities of London and Shoreditch. The
subject is dealt with in a special report which is appended (p. 79). The work
carried out by the Health Visitors is dealt with in their reports. (Appendix,
page 92.) Some 3,557 visits were paid by the Council's Health Visitors in connection
with 2,141 infants born during the year and 138 were visited by Miss Child
during the last six weeks of the year. Miss Child is a fully qualified Health
Visitor appointed by the Committee of the Shoreditch School for Mothers.
Attention may be directed to the weighing centres which were established in the
Borough during the year, where mothers can attend and receive advice and
instruction from the Health Visitors as regards the care and nurture of their
infants. Of these centres one is at the Town Hall, where the meetings take place
every Wednesday afternoon under Miss Charlesworth, one is at the Haggerston
baths, meeting on Thursday afternoons under Miss Jacocks, and the third, the
Shoreditch School for Mothers, holds its meetings at the Church Room in
Vestry Street under Miss Childs. The sphere of activity of the last is limited to
that portion of Hoxton lying to the west of East Road and New North Road. There
is every reason for believing that most useful work is being carried out in connection
with these centres.
The deaths of children aged from 1 to 5 years numbered 257, of which 27 were
attributed to measles, 17 to whooping cough, 10 to diphtheria, 28 to various forms of
tuberculosis, 10 to bronchitis, 53 to pneumonia, 74 to diarrhoea and enteritis, and
7 to various forms of violence, of which 6 were the results of burns or scalds.
Altogether 787 or 38'6 per cent, of the total number of deaths at all ages during
the year were of children under 5 years of age, as compared with 38*4 for 1912.
Of children from 5 to 15 years of age, 74 died. The chief causes of death were
tuberculosis which accounted for 21, other infectious diseases which resulted in
12, pneumonia which caused 7, and various forms of violence which accounted for
9 deaths, 3 of which resulted from street accidents.
Of persons aged between 15 and 25 years there died 67, of whom 14 were the
victims of consumption, 12 of diseases of the heart and circulatory organs, and 9 of
pneumonia.
Of persons aged between 25 and 35 years there died 92, the chief causes of
death being consumption, which accounted for 35; diseases of the circulatory organs,