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49
This total figure of 58 is one of the lowest returns ever
recorded in the third quarter of the year in this district of
London (in 1902 it was 61). It would, therefore, appear as if
there was an exception to Ballard's law as stated in last year's report.
But, it will be seen, mention is also made of the effect of the rainfall.
During 1903 the temperature conditions weref avourable to
diarrhoea, that is, for 15 weeks in the summer quarter the earth
temperature was above 56° F. But in the same quarter there
was a fall of 15.56 inches of rain as compared with 6.02 in 1902
and 5.10 in the summer quarter of 1901. The two records of
temperature and rainfall must be taken together.
The broad conclusion which may be safely drawn from these
facts is, that the excessive rainfall was one of the causes at least
of the reduced death rate from epidemic diarrhoea among infants
in the third quarter. Rain lays dust and washes the atmosphere,
as well as reducing its temperature. Hence the pollution of
food, etc., is reduced to a minimum.
(b) Epidemic Diarrhoea and the Feeding of Infants.—Year by year
increasing evidence is obtained in support of the view that much
of the epidemic diarrhoea of urban communities is derived from
the consumption of polluted milk. Reference was made to this
matter in my report for 1902. During 1903 we have carried out
an enquiry into the conditions of life obtaining in relation to 416
infant deaths. The total infant deatlis were 503. Into 416 of these
cases it has been possible to make enquiry. Seventy-nine of the
deaths enquired into were due to epidemic diarrhœa, and the
feeding of these 79 cases has been investigated on the same lines
as last year. It is thus possible to give the results of enquiry
into 190 cases of fatal diarrhcea of infants. The return is as
follows:—