View report page

a year old. We cannot do that here, because we have no Health Visitor, and, if we
had, over 1,000 births were not notified in Camberwell last year ! (My estimate is
based on the fact that 213 births were not notified last year in my Registration
Sub-District,which is less than one-fifth of Camberwell. Moreover, only one of the
3,000 fathers, nurses and doctors concerned was asked for an explanation, and that
one parent was only asked at the direct request of the Registrar-General.)
I forward herewith a copy of the report of our Medical Officer of Health
(Dr. Stevens), which was discussed in July. Some of us pointed out that even from
the limited statistics given there a good case could be made out for the appointment
of a Health Visitor. For example (see figures in report):—
(a) In 1910, the first year Hampstead had a Health Visitor at work the
whole year, the death-rate dropped 15 per thousand births, whereas the
death-rate in Camberwell only dropped 6 per thousand. Had Camberwell's
death-rate dropped as much as Hampstead's (15 per thousand) sixty lives
would have been saved in Camberwell that year (viz., 9 by 6.7, there being
6,700 births in Camberwell that year).
(b) In 191 0, first year Bermon dsey had a Health Visitor at work
the whole year, the death-rate dropped 12 per thousand, compared with
Camberwell? s 6 per thousand. Had Camberwell's death-rate dropped as
much as Bermondsey's (12 per thousand) forty lives would have been saved
in Camberwell that year (viz., 6 by 6·7).
(c) In the three years 1908, 1909 and 1910, when Lambeth had a Health
Visitor at work, the death-rate dropped 26 per thousand, compared with
Camberwell's 2l per thousand. It Camberwell's death-rate had dropped as
much as Lambeth's, thirty-three lives would have been saved in Camberwell
(viz., 5 by 6·7).
We further quoted from your report 011 "Infant and Child Mortality," from
the reports of London Medical Officers of Health, and from the portion of the
Annual Report of the Registrar-General dealing with infantile mortality.
It was all of no use. The public conscience had been aroused in other parts of
England about infantile mortality, but not on Camberwell Public Health Committee.
Here we are actually doing less than we did five years ago. Then we did distribute
a few pamphlets to mothers. Now we do nothing direct.
Earlier in this year, when the measles epidemic was over, we issued a placard
telling the mothers of dead children how they might have saved their children's
lives. Alter the summer epidemics we may repeat that ghastly proceeding. I see
no prospect of anything being done before that.
I write bitterly because it makes my blood boil to sit here daily registering the
deaths of these infants (e.g., seven deaths yesterday in about two hours, ages varying
from two to fourteen months).
We have areas in Camberwell probably as bad as any in London for their
exeessine infant death-rate, but the statistics for those parts are mixed up with the
figures tor better parts, and, so far as I am aware, the Committee has made no effort
to get separate statistics.
We have no Health Visitor, no municipal milk depôt, no school for mothers, no
infant consultations, no allied organisations, and, so far, no placard on summer
epidemics has been issued.
I am, Sir,
(Signed) Alfred Lucas
(Member of Camberwell Borough Council and
Registrar of Births and Deaths).
This letter was referred to me. In answer to it I prepared a
report which was submitted, on September 18th, to the Committee,
and which brought forward various figures opposed to the arguments
adduced therein.
An inspection of the mortality returns for the last year certainly