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Ten of the infant deaths (approximately one-third of the whole number) occurred before
the child was four weeks old. Enquiry revealed varying ill-defined states of the mothers'
health, which indicated that her offspring were likely to be poorly developed or lacking
in vitality. Of these ten deaths, six occurred in comfortable artizan homes; in one of these
cases, the child's mother, a primipara of 43 years had been twice married; for 26 years she
had followed a strictly sedentary occupation and worked at her millinery table until 5 weeks
before confinement. She had a history of complaints commonly associated with a sedentary
occupation not counter-balanced by exercise and recreation. Although the remaining four
occurred in poorer types of homes, there was no history of privation and want; in one case
the mother had pyorrhoea; in another the. mother lias been known for some years to have been
in a state of chronic poon health; one was a twin, the survivor made normal progress. Of
the remaining 17 infant deaths, 2 were illegitimate children; in one of these the mother anil
baby remained in the Guardians institution until the death of the child at 7 weeks, the other
avoided returning to t'he address where she had been befriended before entering the Guardians
institution. In five other homes there was chronic poverty but without marked distress.
In one case where there was poverty and much domestic discord (death occurred at 9 weeks
after operation for meningocele) the mother stated that she had taken abortifacients.
Poor Law and Hospital Relief.
The Clerk to the Guardians of the Holborn Union has kindly supplied me
with the following information relating to persons from the Holborn Division of
the Union who received Poor Law Relief during the year 1927:—
Indoor Relief 1,096 persons
Outdoor Relief 352 cases
Outdoor Medical Relief 202 persons
Of the total number of 531 deaths, 378 died in hospitals and public institutions
either within or without the Borough.