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70
[Appendix IV.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The deaths registered at ages under 1 year numbered 477 in all, 425 of the deceased children
being residents of St. Mary's Sub-District and 52 of St. John's. The infantile mortality per 1,000
births registered was 165, being 14 in excess of the decennial average (see Table 18, p. 38). In
St. Mary the mortality last year was 171, or 16 in excess of the average, and in St. John 126, or 2
in excess. The rate for the Parish (165) was higher last year than that for the Metropolis (158),
but the average for Paddington (151) was below that for the Metropolis (159). The rates for St.
John are the lowest included in Table 18, to which reference can be made for further comparison.
With the exception of Westminster (189) and Kensington (180), the rate for the Parish last
year was the highest recorded in the Western districts of the Metropolis. Below will be found
the mean rates for 1890-99 and the rates for 1900 for those districts. A more extended list of
infantile mortalities for the 4 years 1897-1900 will be found in Table 17 (p. 17).

It will be seen that the last year's rates were below the decennial mean rates in the abovementioned
districts, except Kensington, Westminster, and Paddington.
In Table 36 the causes of death at ages under 1 year are set out for the decennium 1890-99,
two quinquennia, and for 1900. The most striking changes to be noted are the increases (with a
reduced birth-rate) from diarrhoea, want of breast milk, premature birth, congenital malformations,
and bronchitis and pneumonia. These diseases accounted altogether for an increase of 57 deaths
above the decennial average. With the possible exceptions of premature birth and congenital
malformations, all these causes are amenable to hygienic control, or, to state the case in another
way, are largely due to ignorance or carelessness on the part of the parents. This latter statement
is specially true with regard to infants suffocated by being in bed with the parents.
It is satisfactory to note the reductions in the mortality from diphtheria and the tubercular
diseases. The reductions recorded in convulsions and from enteritis are probably due to greater
care in certifying the causes of death.
Since 1891 the deaths under 5 years of age have been tabulated more minutely. Tables 37
and 37a show the numbers and mortalities at various ages under 1 year, and Table 38 gives thenumbers
at ages from 1 to 5 years. In spite of the epidemic of measles, there were satisfactory
reductions in the numbers of deaths at these ages. The causes of death at the ages specified
have also been separately tabulated, but are not included on this occasion.