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61
mortality in childhood.
In Fig. 1 the duration of infection in each house in the three main streets in the " Clarendon
Street Area " is indicated by hard lines thus X — X. A diagrammatic study of the dates of
individual attacks in any given house suggests very strongly a transference of infection direct
from person to person, and the general disposition of the lines in Fig. 1 does the same with
regard to houses in the same street. In the latter case some vehicle for the conveyance of
infection is necessary, and for that purpose the house-fly seems particularly apt. Last year fly
counts were taken three days a week at houses or premises in different parts of the Borough.
In Fig. 2 the " curve " of the average number of flies counted per cemetery during each week
is contrasted with the " curves" of attacks and deaths due to diarrhcea and those of
earth temperature and rainfall. The general agreement of the " curves " is very striking, and so
is the coincidence of a high fly count with the incidence of the disease as shown in Fig. 1.
The facts set out here and illustrated in the diagrams may be taken to afford good reason for
suspecting that flies have a large share in the spread of the disease. There are, however, many
points which require to be cleared up before that hypothesis can be accepted unreservedly. One
practical conclusion can be based on the suggestion and applied without hesitation, viz., the
absolute necessity of keeping houses and localities free from accumulations of putrefying refuse,
both vegetable and animal, such accumulations being the breeding places of flies of all
descriptions.
Infant Rearing (Birth Visiting).—In January of last year the " Paddington School for
Mothers" (also known as the "Mothers' and Babies' Welcome") was founded to carry on,
on extended lines, the work of the Infant Committee of the Paddington Health Society. Later
in the year the Institution known as "St. Mary's Kitchen" became amalgamated with the
" School," which now undertakes the provision of dinners and other forms of assistance for
expectant and nursing mothers, in addition to maintaining two consultation centres. The
School" has a full-time Nurse-Matron, who does a large amount.of home visiting, and a staff
of voluntary visitors. The " School " has its own house (232, Harrow Road), where various
classes are held and much work done to help, but not to pauperise, women of the poorer classes.
The cards issued on notification of births numbered 2,954 last year, of which 1,380 were
passed on to the School for Mothers. There were also a number of cards issued in 1910 which
remained over for visits during the past year. The reports received showed that of the total
number of cards issued, 409 related to children of parents above the class requiring visits, and
that 280 other children could not be visited by reason of wrong addresses being given or
removals. In 47 instances (2.5 per cent. of calls made) the offer of advice was refused. The
proportion of refusals last year was slightly higher than in 1910, when it was 18 per cent. The
actual number of children visited was 1,732 last year, or 256 fewer than in the previous year.
The ages of the children on the occasions of the first visits and the methods of feeding are
indicated in the appended statement.
Method of Feeding.
Breast. Artificial. Mixed. Not stated.
Age at Percent- Percent- No Percent- Percent- Totals.
Visit. age. age. age.
(0— 12 800 — — 2 13.3 1 66 15
1 1— 148 89-7 7 4.2 8 4.8 2 1.2 165
£ 1 2— 382 81.8 46 9.8 32 6.8 7 1.5 467
? (3— 200 80 0 29 11 6 17 6.8 4 1.6 250
(0— 742 82.7 "82 9.l 59 fro 14 1.5 897
1— 283 78.6 44 12.2 33 9.1 — — 360
2— 116 71.6 22 13.5 17 10.4 7 4.3 162
3— 154 68.7 40 17.8 22 9.8 8 3.5 224
Age not stated 50 56.1 26 29.2 10 11.2 3 3.3 89
Totals 1,345 77.6 214 123 141 8.1 32 1.8 1,732
According to the figures given above, the proportion of children reported to be breast-fed
on the occasion of the first visit was 77.6 per cent., as compared with 81.9 in the previous year.