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TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE
VESTRY OF PADDINGTON.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you my Fifth Annual
Report on the Vital Statistics and Sanitary Administration of the
Parish of Paddington, being the Report for the year 1898.
The death-rate in 1898 (15.80), although higher than that of
1897 (14.33), was satisfactory. It would have been lower but for
the occurrence of epidemics of measles in the Spring, and of
Diarrhoea in the Autumn. Some effort was made to cope with
the former, an account of the work being contained in pages
56—60 of this Report. Incomplete as this attempt was, its
results I think encourage further efforts in the same direction.
The expense involved in dealing with an epidemic of this character
is usually put forward as a reason for not attempting any such work.
The experience of last year does not point to the need of any large
outlay, the additional expenditure involved being the wages of
two temporary extra men for the disinfection of sick rooms, and
some slight increase in the Contractor's account for purification
of bedding, &c. Nothing has yet been attempted to limit the
mortality from epidemic diarrhoea, beyond routine sanitary work.
In 1895,* I suggested that a leaflet on infant feeding might with
advantage be issued through the medical staffs of the hospitals
and dispensaries, registrars of births, district visitors, and others.
Recent experience has shown that this disease is undoubtedly
infectious, and can be transmitted directly from child to child
by dirty fingers, &c. Some attempt should be made to educate
the mothers, as by that means alone can any permanent benefit be
secured.
* Aunual Report, 1895, p. 100.