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

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Lewisham 1904

Annual report on the vital statistics and sanitary condition of the Borough of Lewisham and report of the Public Analyst for the year 1904

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Sydenham And Forest Hill
Beadnell Road3Elsinore Road2Perry Vale4
Bovill Road2Ewart Road3Porthcawe Road8
Bradford Road2Fairlawn Park6Stanton Square3
Como Road2Highclere Street2Sydenham Road3
Champion Crescent2Hindpley Place2Trilby Road3
Dalmain Road4Maddin Road8Woolstone Road2
Dillwyn Road4Malham Road3Willow Walk3
Elderton Road3Miall Road4

Abandoned.— Three infants were discovered in gardens
of private houses in Sydenham, and one at Upper Sydenham
Station. Two who were living were taken to the Infirmary,
but subsequently succumbed to Epidemic Enteritis.
ANALYSIS OF INFANTS' DEATHS.
Premature Births. Of the 78 cases death occurred from
a few hours to a few days after the child's birth. In no case
did life extend beyond one month, and only 12 cases lived over
14 days.
Many women among the poorer classes are most ignorant
of the care which should be taken by prospective mothers to
ensure healthy offspring, to which fact these accidents are
often due.
Tubercular Diseases.— Of the fourteen recorded deaths
seven were due to Tubercular Meningitis, four to General
Tuberculosis, and three to local manifestations of the disease.
The fact that all these children were artificially fed with cows'
milk offers grave suspicion that the disease may have been
transmitted to them by means of infected milk.
Epidemic Diarrhœa and Enteritis.— This is the most
fatal disease occurring in infants. One hundred and three
deaths were recorded under this heading, equal to more than
one-fourth of the total deaths under one year of age. The
disease is usually epidemic in character and coincident with hot