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22
thousand births. Although we continue to shew some
slight improvement over previous years we are still
twenty-one per thousand over the general Metropolitan
rate. This has fallen to 108 as against 113 for the
previous year. Undoubtedly there is much room for
improvement here, and if the Notification of Births
Act, which was put in force last December, is to produce
the good effects its promoters expect and desire,
this black figure of 129 should shew considerable
shrinkage in the near future.
In the first quarter of the year the deaths were at
the rate of 134 per thousand births; in the Summer
quarter they were 107; in the Autumn they rose to
151 and in the last quarter they fell to 145. The
heavy mortality of the September quarter was due to
the prevalence of diarrhoea.
The fatal period of infancy is the first week of life;
most infants prematurely born, or so deformed or
feeble as to be incapable of prolonged separate existence,
usually succumb within seven days of birth. Of
the total infantile deaths 93, a proportion of 17.4 per
cent, occurred during this fatal first week, and, including
these, 143 (26.8 per cent.) during the first four
weeks. In the second month twelve per cent, and in
the third nine per cent, of the total infantile deaths
were registered.
SPECIAL CAUSES OF INFANTILE DEATHS.
The usual tables prepared in accordance with the
instructions of the Local Government Board will be
found in the appendix.