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31
August, and one day in September, the temperature rose above 90°, and
on August 9th the temperature rose to a higher level than at any
previous time on record, reaching 100° at the Royal Observatory,
Greenwich, and 94° at the Hampstead Meteorological Station near the
Whitestone Pond at a height of 453 feet above mean sea level. The
rainfall was unusually deficient, being only 45 per cent, of the normal in
the London district. The second week in July was the sunniest week on
record. Such weather, however desirable in other respects, is inimical to
infant life, and gave rise to the high mortality of 1911. It is gratifying
to note, however, that the mortality, though high, is considerably lower
than in previous years with hot summers, such as 1899, and this result
must be attributed to the preventive measures which local authorities
have brought into operation during the past ten years. It has not infrequently
been asserted in disparagement of those measures that the
comparatively low mortality rates of the years 1902-1910 were due to
the cold wet summers of those years, and that when a hot dry summer
occurred the rate would rise to the high level of previous years. The
experience of 1911 has proved the error of this pessimistic view. The
summer of 1911 was the hottest on record, and yet the mortality
amongst infants was considerably lower than it was in the hot weather
of the years 1891-1901. This result justifies those who take an optimistic
view of the prospect of reducing infantile mortality, and proves
the value of the preventive measures that have been adopted during the
past ten years.
The measures for the prevention of infantile mortality may be
classified into two groups: (1) those that improve the sanitary condition
of the child's surroundings, and (2) those that improve the standard
of personal care the child receives during the first few months of
life. Among the sanitary improvements special importance must be
attached to the hygienic paving of street carriage-ways with impermeable
material, such as asphalte or tarred macadam, and the paving of the backyards
and forecourts of dwellings. During the past five years the
Council have paved a considerable number of streets with tarred macadam,
and special attention has been paid to the paving of yards and
forecourts, the bye-law made by the Council in 1907 being found
valuable in enforcing this important work.
In connection with the prevention of infantile mortality mention
should be made of one valuuable sanitary reform which, however, has