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The result, although not so good as in 1908, when Camberwell
was ninth on the list, is still satisfactory, bearing in mind the character
and circumstances of the population of the Borough, and it compares
by no means unfavourably with other towns with a reputation as
health resorts, and to live in which persons are content to spend
much money and to put up with considerable loss of time in travel.
Coming now to the individual districts, there is an increase of
1·4 in Dulwich, of 0·1 in North Camberwell, of 0.8 in South
Peckham, of 0·4 in North Peckham, and 1·6 in St. George's. It
thus appears that only in South Camberwell has there been a
reduction of from 11·1 to 10·5.
The infantile mortality has again shown a decrease from the
preceding years, there being 53 fewer deaths of children under one
year, contrasted with a reduction of 60 in 1908 from the numbers
for 1907. This Council, after discussion, decided to take no action
in the way of appointing health visitors, whose duties it would be to
go round to the houses wherein births had been notified and who
would instruct the mothers in the proper way to feed and look after
the infants. The Local Government Board having intimated that
the intention to make such appointments would be a consideration
with them in the case of an application being made to apply the
Notification of Births Act, it was not anticipated that the Act would
be here set in force, but in November an Order was made to bring it
compulsorily into action in Camberwell, and since then its statutory
provisions have been carried out but no health visitors have been
appointed.
It is therefore of interest to continue the comparison of the
death-rate per 1,000 births, instituted in previous years between
Camberwell and the following Boroughs who have appointed health
visitors.
Borough.
1906
1907
1908
1909
Camberwell
130
115
104
100
Hammersmith
138
117
120
120
Hampstead
77
69
69
75
Kensington
132
128
119
113
Woolwich
109
112
94
82
Bethanal Green
155
138
132
129
These Boroughs have been selected as they have rather the
earlier record of appointments, and, having been quoted in previous
reports, a longer term of years is available for comparison. From
these figures it is difficult to find any convincing evidences as to
the beneficent influence of health visitors in reducing the mortality,
and it does not tend to change my opinion that advice is not of
much account unless supplemented by material help which would
no doubt assist some of the more weakly children to weather the