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29
Infantile Summer or Epidemic Diarrhcea.
During the twelve weeks July 15—October 6, there were 121 deaths in the Borough from
diarrhoea, 10 of adults, and 111 of children under five years of age, including 77 under one year.
In regard to deaths under five, an inquiry was made by the lady inspectors with respect
to 77 of infants under one year (13 of them illegitimate), and of 31 children (two illegitimate)
between one and five. The information given to the inspectors may be summarised as follows: —
Of the infants under one, seven only had been wholly breast.fed up to the time of death:
two of these had a history of parental phthisis; the mother of a third suffered personally from
diarrhoea.
Only three deaths occurred within four weeks of birth, a period during which suckling is
general.
In 30 of 65 hand.fed cases, the milk used had been kept in the rooms occupied by the
family; in seven cases in a passage or washhouse—and had been, usually, uncovered and exposed
to contamination by dirt, flies, etc.
In twelve cases in the practice of one doctor, the use of milk (sometimes with the addition
of brandy) was continued throughout the fatal illness. In nine cases a good brand of whole condensed
milk was used, the milk being improperly kept in the tin and taken out when wanted. Long.
tubed bottles were used in only eight cases.
In nearly every case a baby's " comforter" or " dummy" teat had been used. It was
"always kept clean," the mothers alleged; a statement open to doubt. The inspectors have
frequently seen a mother wipe the " comforter " with a dirty apron, or put it in her own mouth,
before giving it to the infant. The teat, often enough, is found on the dirty floor.
The homes as a rule were fairly clean; only three were conspicuously dirty.
Fourteen of the married mothers, and thirteen unmarried mothers, of infants under one, and
five married mothers of children 1.5 years, went out to work. The occupations of the 14 married
mothers of infants under one were: laundress, nine; charwoman, three; tailoress and daily servant,
one each.
With regard to deaths between one and five: in three cases there was a history of
parental delicacy of health, two mothers being consumptive. Four of the children were weakly,
ricketty or consumptive; one had recently had measles, and one mumps and measles. Six of the
cases had been attended by the doctor referred to above; and milk diet had been continued
throughout the illness. The rooms generally were clean, and fairly well kept.
The subjoined tables supply information in regard to the methods of feeding practised, the
ages of the deceased children and the status of the parents, who belonged almost exclusively to
the poorer and less fortunately circumstanced classes of the people. Of the 77 deaths under one,
66 occurred in three wards (St. Charles 28, Golborne 18, and Norland 20), population 72,910; and
11 in the remaining six wards; population 106,590: 27 of the 31 deaths between one and five
occurred in the three wards—10, 9, and 8, respectively.
. The deaths from diarrhoea, in the Metropolis, in the twelve weeks, were 3,605, and 1,035 above the corrected average ;
3,422 of them were of children under five years of age, including 2,809 less than one year old.