View report page

17
Deaths in Public Institutions.
During the year 1911 the deaths of Battersea residents occurring
in Public Institutions numbered 857 as compared with 735
in 1910. Of this number 384 occurred within and 473 outside the
Borough. Four hundred and fifteen occurred in Workhouses or
Union Infirmaries as against 370 in 1910 and 470 in 1909.
Infant Mortality.
Infant Mortality has reference to the deaths of children under
one year of age, i.e., the proportion which the deaths of such infants
in any given year bears to every thousand children born in the
same year. Infant Mortality varies widely in different distiicts
and has come to be regarded as a sensitive index of the Sanitary
condition of a district. In recent years much attention has been
devoted to this subject by health authorities and there has in
consequence been a marked improvement in the vital statistics of
the Country. Last year the lowest infant mortality ever previously
recorded was registered throughout England and Wales,
and compared with the average for the decennium 1901-1910, there
has been a decline of 26 per 1,000. Owing, however, largely to the
very hot, dry and prolonged summer, which was experienced
during 1911, there was again noticeable a considerable rise in infant
mortality: an increase of about 30% over that of the record low
rate of 1910. Battersea, in common with the rest of the Metropolis
and throughout Kingdom generally, suffered a temporary set
back from the satisfactory position which had been gained by years
of sound sanitary administrative action in dealing with infant
mortality. The causes responsible for this set-back were first and
most important, the epidemic of summer diarrhoea which prevailed
during the third quarter of the year, and secondly and less serious,
the severe outbreak of measles which existed in the early part of
year. Notwithstanding, it is satisfactory to note that the infant
death-rate in Battersea compares favourably with the figures for the
decennium 1901-1910, as will be seen from an inspection of the
table on page 18.
Infant Mortality in Battersea in 1911.
During the year 1911, the deaths of 546 infants were registered
in the Borough of Battersea. The total number of births registered
during the year was 4,381, a decrease of 108 births from those of
1910, giving an infant mortality rate of 124 per 1,000. This was
an increase of 27% over the rate for 1910 which was the lowest
ever previously recorded in Battersea, viz., 97 per 1,000.