London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Deptford 1911
Annual report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford
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26
few hours, although there be outwardly no apparent change.
Since the adoption of the Notification of Births Act, 1907, the
notice of the birth of a child is received within two days of the
event, and enables the Lady Health Visitor to pay an early visit
to the home and give advice to the mother as to the proper
feeding and management of the infant, which I feel certain in
the future will be attended with the most encouraging results.
I submit a list of the principal causes of the 428 infantile deaths in the Borough during 1911, viz.:—
| Whooping Cough | 16 |
| Measles | 10 |
| Diarrhceal Diseases | 106 |
| Enteritis and Diseases of Digestive System | 40 |
| Bronchitis and Pneumonia | 62 |
| Debility and Marasmus | 40 |
| Premature Birth | 55 |
| Congenital Malformations, Atelectasis, and Injury at Birth | 9 |
| Meningitis | 13 |
| Convulsions | 19 |
| Suffocation in bed with parents | 5 |
| Other causes | 53 |
| 428 |
The Public Health Committee in presenting the following
report on Infantile Mortality to the Council in December, 1911,
stated that they had now completed their consideration of the
reference from the Council at its meeting on 21st November,
1911, directing the Committee to enquire and report as to the
causes of the high death rate in certain wards of the borough
during the past five years, especially amongst children under
one year of age. The Committee have devoted a great deal of
careful attention to the main object of the reference, viz., the