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INFANTILE 'MORTALITY.
than four rooms. Six deaths occurred in homes of 5 rooms and 2 in homes of 6 rooms.
Defects were found in 22 houses (out of 59), of which the following statement gives the
particulars:—
Houses requiring cleansing 13 Defective dustbins 4
Defective drainage, gullies, &c. 9 Stagnant water 2
Dirty cisterns 3 Deficient ventilation 2
In four houses two cases of diarrha were known to have occurred under circumstances
pointing to infection of the second child from the first. It is impossible to include all the
notes of the cases of diarrhœa collected by the Inspectors, although of great interest. The
following cases were selected as typical of the series.
I. An infant aged 9 months: Family in comfortable circumstances; house scrupulously clean; feeding on
sound principles; child ill only three days, sickening after the mother had rendered assistance to another family in
the same house, the members of which had been ill with diarrhœa and sickness.
II. An infant aged 3 months : Occupied back basement room, which, " at the time of inspection, smelt most
objectionably " ; smells due to storm flooding.
III. An infant aged 24 days: Healthy at birth; for about 14 days fed on barley water only; medical advice
not obtained until too late.
IV. An infant aged 9 months : Stated to have been fed "every two hours, and oftener if he cried"; food—
condensed milk and water (1 teaspoonful to j cup of hot water) and Ridge's food '2 teaspoonfuls to small cup of
hot water).
V. Two infants aged 3 and C months died within 5 days: First child occupied back basement room, into
which soaked foul liquids from defective dustbin of the next house.
VI. R. H., f., 7 months, died October 1st of diarrhœa, after a week's illness. Fed on condensed milk by means
of a long-tube bottle. Basement of house not inhabited, found to be dirty and foul smelling, as also the backyard.
A second child (— C.), found ill in ground-floor back room, which was dark and "unsuitable for the
rearing of children." This child, delicate from birth, was fed on cow's milk and "biscuit pap." The milk was
bought in "½d.-worths," as there was no accommodation for keeping it in the home. The family was in very poor
circumstances, but with assistance a move into a healthier home was effected, where, with the better feeding
recommended by the Inspector, the child rapidly improved and ultimately recovered. The last report was that
the child was getting on well.
Mortality among Illegitimate Children.—Forty-five (45) deaths of illegitimate children
were registered in the Borough, 8 of the deceased infants not belonging to the Parish. From
other parts of the Metropolis 4 other deaths were returned. Of the corrected total (41
deaths), 30 were infants under one vear, 9 aged one to five years, and 2 aged over five years.
The infantile mortality* among illegitimates was at the rate of 295 per 1,000 such births, as
compared with rates of 208 in 1902, and 413 in 1901. An analysis, sex and age sub-division,
of last vear's deaths is appended :—

* These rates are based on the number of illegitimate births registered in the Borough. If the births in outlying
hospitals be taken into account the rates for the three years will be : 1903, 221; 1902, 213 ; and 1901, 352.
41