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There were *125 of these deaths during the year, equal
to 111 per 1,000 births, against 175 deaths and a rate of
147 per 1,000 last year, and an average for the past ten years
of 123.
The infantile death-rate is mainly influenced by the
extent of the fatal epidemic diarrhoea, which occurs amongst
children in the summer and early autumn, and by the
epidemics of Whooping Cough and Measles. Fortunately,
the deaths from Diarrhoea and Measles were much less than
last year, and the mortality rate would have been very low
but for an outbreak of Whooping Cough, more serious than
anyxin my experience as Medical Officer of Health here,
which occurred during the first four months of the year, no
less than 24 of the 30 deaths from this disease taking place
in this period, causing infantile death rates of 253, 179 and
145 per 1,000 births during the months of January, February
and March respectively.
Under the circumstances the rate of 111 per 1,000 births
for the year can be looked upon as a favourable one.
In Table V. is shown the deaths from stated causes in
weeks and months under one year of age.
Sterilized Milk Supply.—The Sanitary Committee, at
their meeting in October, 1906, passed the following
resolution:—
" (a) That the Medical Officer of Health be directed to
report to this Committee whether it is desirable
" for the Council to undertake the supply of
sterilized milk to the public, and (b) that information
on the subject be obtained from towns where
sterilized milk depots have been established by
the Local Authority."
I prepared an extensive report on the subject, accompanied
inter alia by Tables showing:—
(a) The infantile mortality rates in towns and districts
where milk depots had been established and in
Wimbledon.
(b) Replies from the following towns: Battersea,
Bradford, Burnley, Dundee, Finsbury, Glasgow,
Liverpool, Leith, Lambeth, Woolwich, St. Helens,
and York, giving date of establishment, initial
cost, number of officials employed and salaries
paid, annual cost of maintenance, amount
expended on milk supply, the number of persons
using depot, and income from sale of milk.
*The difference between this and the total number shown in Table V. is
accounted for by the inclusion in the latter of seven children dying in the
Kingston Workhouse Infirmary.
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