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28
feeding was considered in my report for 1905, and the
crass ignorance of first principles shewn by many
nursing mothers was my chief reason for urging upon
the Borough Council the appointment of a woman
inspector and Health Visitor. Mr. Phipps the Chairman
of the Public Health Committee took great
interest in the subject and at his suggestion a card of
simple instructions was prepared and distributed by
Miss Harris the newly appointed officer.
It is much too early to say what the result of this
action may be, but it can do no harm and may save
many lives.
Convulsive diseases, which include non-tuberculous
meningitis caused 35 deaths, a rate of eight and half
per thousand as against sixteen per thousand for
England and Wales; this calls for no special remark.
Common infectious diseases caused 45 deaths, three
fourths of which were due to whooping-cough, there
were eleven deaths from measles and five from scarlet
fever.
Next I take Tubercular diseases which caused 32
deaths ; a mortality of about eight per thousand as
against six per thousand for England and Wales. I
believe most of these deaths were from inherited forms
of the disease, for only nine infants died from
tubercular disease of the bowels, the local infection
usually considered to be due to the ingestion of milk
from tuberculous cows, a danger which is much
exaggerated.
East of all 32 deaths were returned by the Coroner as
due to suffocation. Twenty-eight of the infants who died