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34
requested to carry out the work mentioned, the London
County Council would consider it necessary to refuse to allow
the proportion of her salary.
Yours faithfully,
A. Welle sley Harris,
Medical Officer of Health.
A full report was placed before your Health Committee,
who directed a communication to be sent to the Local Government
Board upon the subject. As a result the Board suggested
a course by which the technical difficulty might be overcome,
and I hope that arrangements will be made which will enable us
to have Miss Whitworth's assistance in adopting preventive
measures during the ensuing year in the hope of reducing the
appalling waste of infant life.
It may be fairly assumed that from 40 to 50 per cent. of
the infantile deaths recorded in the Borough during the year
were due directly or indirectly to diseases following improper
feeding.
Summarising the information collected it would appear
that the following causes are in a great measure responsible for
the high infantile mortality:—
The increasing unwillingness of mothers to suckle their
offspring;
Inability to suckle child when mother is the bread-winner;
Ignorance of mothers in the elementary principles
necessary for successful artificial feeding in regard to suitable
foods, the methods of preparing same, frequency of feeding, and
the amount required;
Absence of cleanliness in the home; Uncleanly personal
habits.