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Annuo Report of the Medical Officer of Health—1895.
13
This table, estimated from the quarterly returns published in the "British
Medical Journal," may be taken as approximately correct. In a similar analysis of
the death-rates in the South London Districts for 1894, St. George's, Southwark,
headed the list with a mortality of 239 deaths per 1000 of population. This year,
with a fall of .2 in the rate of deaths from all causes, your parish comes fourth on the
list. In view of the fact that the total mortality for all London has risen 2.4, during
the past year the return from St. George's, Southwark, as fourth on the list, may be
regarded as pointing to a progressive and satisfactory improvement in the health of
the district.
St. George's, Southwark, has still the highest zymotic death-rate, but comes
second in proportion to infantile deaths instead of first as in 1894. Your parish still
remains the most densely populated area in the United Kingdom.
The many causes leading to loss of infant life in St. George's may be thus
summarised :—
(1) Bad environment, such as insanitary conditions, overcrowding and absence
of parks and open spaces. (2) Improper and insufficient food. (3) Mismanagement
through maternal ignorance. (4) Early marriages. (5) Debility and disease of
parents. (5) Maternal neglect, due to mothers being more or less employed away
from home in factories and workshops. (6) Use of opiates; usually in the form of
patent medicines.
The question of how to lessen the excessive destruction of child-life is an
important one. It is a complex result traceable to many causes, each of which
demands careful consideration and separate treatment.
Among general measures it may be broadly stated that anything which tends to
raise the standard of wholesomeness of a district will also help to diminish the
infantile death-rate.
Another valuable aid to prevention would be the education of parents generally
in the simpler laws of healthy living with special reference to the diet and clothing of
their offspring.
Without active and intelligent help on the part of those interested in the
care of children, special treasures of the local authorities will be of little avail
in checking the disastrous loss of life which occurs under five years of age
in all our great centres of population. Before leaving this subject I would again
allude to one special measure which I have urged upon your Vestry ever since my
appointment as Medical Officer of Health, namely, the formation of creches.
The necessary site for such a day nursery might perhaps be found in the Falcon
Court Area, which should be available to a greater or less extent for public purposes.
Another portion of the Area might with advantage be laid out as a play-ground for
the children of this poor and crowded district.