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35
External Causes, such as accidents or negligence, included
the large number of 52 deaths, equalling 0.52 per 1,000, of which
number 7 deaths are ascribed to Burns or Scalds, 4 being in
children under 5 years of age; 5 to vehicular traffic, 1 being a
young child under 5 years of age; 8 to drowning, one being
under 5 years of age; 8 to falls, 3 of which were in children
under 5 years of age; 4 to suffocation, 3 of them being in young
children, and 12, all being young children under the age of 5 years,
due to suffocation from the one cause of being overlaid in bed.
I certainly think that with reasonable care in the domestic
arrangements made for young children, none of these cases of
overlaying should have occurred. It cannot be too strongly laid
down that young children should on no account sleep in the same
bed as older persons, and if a suitable cot is not easily provided,
then a temporary arrangement can easily be substituted, such as
an empty orange box, a good sized clothes basket, a large drawer,
or similar domestic utensil. It matters very little as to the
character of the article, the chief point being to ensure that
accommodation is provided for sleeping elsewhere than in the
same bed as the parents. Six of these cases occurred in East
Greenwich, 1 in West Greenwich, 2 in St. Nicholas, and 3 in
Charlton.
Suicide was ascribed in the case of 9 deaths, 4 being in East
Greenwich, 2 in West Greenwich, 1 in St. Nicholas, and 2 in
Charlton. The causes of death being poisoning in 2 cases,
hanging in 1 case, shooting 3 cases, cutting or stabbing also 3
cases.
Mortuary. During the year the Borough Council, after
much discussion, and several alterations of the plans, decided