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11
The number of births notified in 1918 by midwives was 43 per cent.
of the total, the same as in 1917.
Deaths, Death-Rates and Disease Prevalence.
There were 1,111 deaths of Chelsea residents in 1918, the death-rate
being 17.6 per 1,000, as against 14.2 in 1917,15.1 in 1916, and 17.5 in 1915.
The higher death-rate of 1918 is due to 234 deaths from Influenza in that
year. If the number of deaths from Influenza had been only 22, which
is the average for the 3 years 1915, 1916 and 1917, the death-rate for the
year 1918 would have been only 14.3 per 1,000, or practically the same
as in 1917.
There were 72 deaths of infants under one year of age, equivalent to
an infant mortality rate, of 91 per 1,000 births. The rates in recent years
have been as follows:—1917, 82; 1916, 91; 1915, 100; and 1914, 67.
The following tabular statement gives an outline of the work carried
on in Chelsea during 1918, the visits being those paid by the trained and
paid workers of the Borough Council (2) and the Chelsea Health Society
and School for Mothers (1), and does not include visits by voluntary
workers attached to the Society.
Summary of Reports of Health Visitors for 1918.
Number of homes visited (first visits), Infants 566
Number of re-visits, Infants 1809
Number of infants' attendances at Infant Consultations
1343
Number of visits to children of 1 year to school
age 242
Number of re-visits 1932
Number of children of 1 year to school age
attendances at medical inspection centre 715
Number of Ante-natal visits to expectant
mothers 460
Number of Ante-natal cases attendances at
Ante-natal clinic 293
Number of visits to Diarrhoea cases amongst
Infants 55
Number of visits to cases of ophthalmia
neonatorum 48
General additional Visits in connection with
the Work 1008
On the 9th November, 1918, the Borough Council agreed to extend
the scheme for rendering medical assistance to midwives in urgent cases
of labour of necessitous women residing in the Borough, so as to allow
midwives to seek medical aid in cases of pregnancy, during the lying-in
period, and for the child (Rule 21 of the Central Midwives' Board), the
scale of fees for doctors to be that adopted by the British Medical Association
and approved by the Local Government Board. The consent of the
Local Government Board was obtained to the enlarged scheme, but the
scheme came to an end on the 31st December, 1918, as under Section 14
of the Midwives' Act, 1918, which came into operation on 1st January,
1919, the duty is placed upon the London County Council as the local