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4
therefore omits the few cases of death from bowel disorder
which occurred at the Workhouses and Hospital, and which
bring up the entire number this year to 54. But it will
be seen that the total mortality from diarrhoea at home,
in both the great divisions of the Parish, has a certain ratio
to the total mortality of this quarter of the year, and to
the mortality of infants under 1 year. In fact, in every
year, seven-eights or more of the deaths from diarrhoea,
are those of young children. This year, 36 died of it under
1 year, and 9 more under 5, so that 47 of the 54 deaths
were those of very young children.
We advert to this subject year after year, because it is
one in which great good might be effected, if parents did
but use the means at their disposal. The machinery of
which Medical Officers of Health are a part, can do something
towards providing purer air and purer water, but
cannot enforce the use of them. Great heat is exhausting
to young infants as to all other delicate persons, and
tends both directly and indirectly to induce diarrhoea; yet a
great deal may be done to counteract its effects by liberal
ablution with cold water, and by free ventilation. All
children's food is liable to turn sour, but an intelligent
mother might get milk from the nearest cow, instead of
buying skim milk casually hawked about the streets. Having
made special enquiry for causes after these infants' deaths
from diarrhoea, we can testify to the apathy displayed by
some mothers, who " never thought of getting different
milk" from that on which they fed their baby till it died.
We believe many of these deaths to come truly under the
head "preventible."
The note is made that 27 of the children in the Belgrave
Sub-District were dry-nursed, besides that 2 died from want
of breast milk. Of the 27, 14 died of diarrhoea; the
remainder were entered under the heads "wasting,"