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Infantile Mortality.
This is calculated as usual, as the number of children dying under one year of age to
every 1,000 births of the same year, the reasons previously assigned for this method being the
difficulty of getting the infantile population at the census.
The high infantile mortality in Bermondsey and its causes have been the subject of
comment in the last three Annual Report, and I am happy to be able to report this year that the
Council of this Borough has at laśt taken a serious step in its endeavour to check the sppalling
loss of child life here.
The total number of infantile deaths in the Borough in 1904 was 723, viz., 477, 187 and
59 for the sub-divisions of Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and St. Olave's, the corresponding figures
for 1903 being 657 for the whole Borough, and 453, 168 and 36 for its divisions. This gives an
infantile mortality for 1904 of 172 for the Borough, the other figures being 173 Bermondsey,
173 Rotherhithe, and 163 St. Olave's.
This is a very high mortality, for which the hot summer with its attendant diarrhœa is
largely responsible.
TABLE F. —INFANTILE MORTALITY.
Bermondsey.
Rotherhithe.
St. Olave.
Whole Borough.
London.
Year.
Rate per
1000 Births.
No. of
Deaths.
Rate per
1000 Births.
No. of
Deaths.
Rate per
1000 Births.
No. of
Deaths.
Rate per
1000 Births.
No. of
Deaths.
No. of
Deaths.
Rate per
1000 Births.
147
18,604
143
451
146
161
55
114
218
724
1894
88
165
162
148
205
801
162
22,013
1895
520
193
513
160
214
159
64
153
791
159
21,695
160
1896
605
190
174
67
154
891
183
21,106
158
1897
219
485
157
169
47
132
752
158
21,931
166
1898
220
147
574
169
53
842
180
22,129
1899
187
215
166
120
526
186
205
48
817
185
158
1900
243
20,730
176
42
754
169
148
1901
497
170
215
132
19,412
149
49
153
455
678
156
18,478
139
1902
159
174
176
657.
428
179
160
156
16,978
130
1903
153
50
505
167
167
209
56
165
153
Average for
years
1894 to 1903.
771
20,308
149
477
18,600
173
1904
187
59
163
723
143
172
173
On October 20th, 1904, I presented the following report on the subject to the Public
Health Committee, together with a draft of suggested instructions on infant feeding. After
several adjournments and reconsiderations my suggestions were finally adopted in February,
1905, with the alteration that instead of giving the leaflets, etc., to the Registrars to distribute
on the registration of the birth they should be invited to send the names and addresses of infants
to me, which would serve the double purpose of enabling us to send a copy of the instructions by
post, and also allocate the births along with deaths to the various wards for statistical purposes.
REPORT.
"In commenting on the subject of infantile mortality, I pointed out in the last
Annual Report, that while the general death rate showed a steady decline, the figures of
infantile mortality both in Bermondsey and the country generally, unfortunately, did
not point to a similar conclusion with regard to it.
"In this report as well as previous ones I showed that the majority of deaths at
this age could be attributed more or less directly to gastro-intestinal disorders, largely
if not solely traceable to improper feeding.
"As one remedy for this state of matters, it was recommended that mothers should
have systematic instructions on infant feeding.
"I have therefore drawn up a series of these for your consideration, and suggest
that if they are adopted they should be printed on stiff cardboard so as to last.
"The question of the best method of having them distributed to mothers has been
under my consideration, and the first one which occurs is distribution by the Registrar
of Births or by making an arrangement whereby they would supply us with the names
and addresses of infants registered, by which method we would be responsible for each
mother receiving a copy. From enquiries made it seems that children are generally
registered within about five weeks of birth, which delay it seems to me is a drawback,
because in this period a good deal of mischief may be done."
"The cost would be about £18 per annum. By this method one would be assured
that each mother had a copy a few weeks after the birth of the child.
"Another way, either alone or in conjunction with the above, would be to supply
each midwife and doctor practising in the Borough with a certain number of these cards.
It would be advisable for the midwives to give these cards in all cases in which they
attend, since their practice would be amongst the poorest classes, and those in which the