London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Stoke Newington 1894

Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the last three-quarters of the year 1894

This page requires JavaScript

17
of the community (with whom infantile mortality is always at its
highest) and despite improved general sanitation, the rate of
mortality under 1 year of age will continue to bear a very high
proportion to the general death-rate; but the great discrepancy
shown between the rates of different London parishes furnishes
abundant evidence that there are many causes at work, acting
unequally in the different districts which are preventable. The
preventable diseases which play such havoc among those of tender
years are mostly engendered by either maternal neglect, unhealthy
surroundings, or improper feeding. Infantile mortality has been
seen to be exceptionally low in this parish, and in Table A4l
have set forth the causes of such mortality. It is satisfactory to
note that there have only been 3 deaths from measles and whooping
cough—two diseases which, owing to the fatal tendency there is to
treat them as trivial, and consequently to delay in taking proper
precautions and seeking medical advice, generally together furnish
a higher mortality rate than small-pox. diphtheria, and typhoid
fever combined.
TABLE A 4.

The causes of Infantile Mortality.

Second Quarter.Third Quarter.Fourth Quarter.Totals.
Premature Birth53412
Diseases of Lungs (including Atelectasis)1258
Tuberculosis2114
Atrophy...325
Diarrhoea...4...4
Convulsions1118
Whooping Coughl12
Measles......l1
Other causes2...24
12151643

B