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1G
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The Infantile Mortality, recorded by the proportion of deaths
of children under one year of age to the number of births registered,
was 142 per 1,000 births, there having been a total of 373 such
deaths during the year, as compared with 345 the figure for the
previous year, showing an increase of 28 actual deaths, the greater
proportion of which were due to the increased number of fatalities
from Diarrhoea during the summer quarter of the year. The
lowest rates of Infantile Mortality amongst the Metropolitan
Boroughs were 94 per 1,000 births in Marylebone, 104 in the City
of London, 109 in Holborn, 113 in Hampstead, 114 in Stoke
Newington, 122 in Wandsworth, 123 in Lewisham, whilst the
highest were 156 in Chelsea, 157 in Bethnal Green, 172 in
Bermondsey, 174 in Southwark, and 188 in Shoreditch.
Locally the variations were from 132 per 1,000 births in East
Greenwich, 136 in Kidbrooke, 142 in West Greenwich, 143
in Charlton, up to 191 in St. Nicholas.
The following extract from a Report by the Medical Officer
of Health upon the proceedings at the Congress of the Royal
Institute of Public Health respecting the Milk question and
Infantile Mortality received the special consideration of the Public
Health Committee:—
"In reference to the Milk question, papers were considered
bearing upon the collection and transit of milk from a bacteriological
point of view, the methods adopted by Railway Companies
for conveying milk, the bacterial contents of milk, the conditions
prevailing at the points of origin and distribution, veterinary
control of dairy herds and upon a clean milk supply. It was
pointed out that if the public would decline to buy milk unless it