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storms and stress of the first year of life. The deaths from diarrhœa
of the epidemic form amounted to 59, as compared with 90 last year,
a decrease which was shown not only in Camberwell but also in
other parts of London, while other forms of diarrhœal diseases
showed a slight increase in the former place.
There were 13 more deaths through the premature birth of the
infant, but 11 fewer of the division which includes injury at birth.
In the atrophy, debility, &c., division there were 116 deaths, being
15 more than last year; of these, 52 took place among infants of less
than one month, against 40 for the corresponding period of last
year. The deaths from pneumonia and bronchitis both showed a
reduction, probably due to climatic conditions.
The decrease in this year is no doubt greatly dependent on the
weather conditions, for however disastrous the summer of 1909 may
have been for pleasure-seekers, it was pre-eminently one unfavourable
to the prevalence of infantile diarrhœa, one of the most
important factors in causing a high rate of infantile mortality.
If any benefit is to come from health visitors it will show itself
especially in the reduction in the diarrhœa deaths and also in the
atrophy class, i.e, those which are in some measures dependent on
the quality and quantity of food taken. The deaths classified under
this heading have increased from 101 to 115, but on looking more
closely into the table it is seen that there were 52 deaths in the
first month compared with 40 in the corresponding period of the
previous year, and that in the age period of the first two weeks there
were seven more deaths than in 1908.
The date of the visit paid by the health visitors in those
boroughs where they have been appointed does not appear to be
uniform, but practically none are made before the end of the first
fortnight.
Granting even that the health visitors by their advice alone are
able to cheek infantile mortality, it would appear that the increase
in this class of deaths in Camberwell can hardly be ascribed to the
lack of instruction, for even had the visitors been at work the deaths
would have occurred before the visits were paid.
There were 97 deaths from measles, being 48 more than in the
previous year, but two less than in 1907. The two Peckham
districts seem to have been most severely attacked, for the excess
in these two divisions amounted to 48 over the preceding year, the
other registration areas remaining somewhere about the same.
The infants' department of several of the elementary schools in
the Borough have been closed on account of outbreaks of this
disease, and where it has been asked for by the Educational
Authority they have been disinfected. In other instances, when that
body did not think it necessary to close the school, they gave
instructions to their officials to exclude from attendance from school
children who had not suffered from a previous attack, but to allow
the older ones who were so protected to continue their attendance.
No disinfection beyond that mentioned above has been practised, the
practice which existed in this Borough up to 1907 now having been.