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2.—Illegitimacy.—The mortality amongst Illegitimate
children is twice as high as it is amongst Legitimate children.
Fortunately, the number of children thus born in this district is
very low when compared with England and Wales. In 1897,
only 12 illegitimate children were born in the District, which is
is equal to 1 in 166 births, whereas in the rest of England and
Wales it was 1 for every 20 births. The number of illegitimate
children is very much larger in agricultural than in
industrial districts. In Shropshire there was 1 illegitimate for
every 11 legitimate births two or three years ago. If the
mortality was not so high every twentieth person that you
would meet would be an illegitimate.
3.—Overlaying, or Suffocation of the Child whilst in Red with
the Parents.— 17 inquests were held during the year on infants
belonging to this District, which had died in this manner. It
may be interesting to notice that this accident occurs much
oftener on some days than on others. For instance, in the case
of these 17 deaths:—
4 occurred on Sunday.
1 „ Monday.
2 „ Tuesday.
None „ Wednesday.
2 ,, Thursday.
4 ,, Friday.
i „ Saturday.
17
So that 12 occurred on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and only
5 on the remaining four days of the week.
4.—Unhealthy Surroundings, and a Want of Sufficient Fresh
Air and Daylight.—A great many children are brought up
amidst unhealthy surroundings. In many homes work is carried
on daily by the parents, and the nuisance arising from fish offal,
skin-dressing, and other similar occupations, must be injurious to
the health of the children.
A great many of the courts and alleys in the District contain
houses from which daylight is almost totally excluded, and
this means lowered vitality to the inmates.