London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ilford 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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The following is a table shewing the average rate of infants dying under 1 year of age, per 1,000 births:-
| Years. | Average rate of Infants dying under I year of age per 1,000 births. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Counties. | Rural Counties. | |||
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| 1873 to 1877 | 176 | 146 | 140 | 113 |
| 1898 to 1902 | 180 | 149 | 139 | 111 |
Of 74 deaths from Diarrhoea in 1904, only 4 were fed
by the mother; and during the past year the following shews
how the children were fed.
Of 27 deaths, only 3 were suckled.
Of the others, 9 were fed with cows milk.
„ „ 15 „ „ condensed milk,
and 7 were receiving some form of patent food in addition
to the milk.
It will be seen by the following table, that the bulk of the deaths occur in the smaller rented houses.
| Rental. | 1904. | 1905. |
|---|---|---|
| £15 and under | 12 | 10 |
| £15 to £20 | 22 | 13 |
| £20 to £25 | 9 | 4 |
| £25 to £30 | 8 | — |
| £30 and over | 4 | — |
A certain proportion of the children that succumb to
Summer Diarrhoea, are previously healthy children; but the
greater number are not, owing to their receiving food that is
not suitable to their needs. They are not in such a vigorous
condition as they should be, and often even a mild attack of
Diarrhœa is more than the enfeebled infant can survive.