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more favourable climatic conditions which obtained, but credit must
also be given to the attention which is now being concentrated on the
great waste of infant life which has been allowed in the past. In
Westminster the improvement is greater than that for London, and it
is of interest to note that this saving of 115 lives coincides with the
adoption of the system of obtaining from the Registrars each week a
list of births, so that the homes of mothers can be visited and advice
given. It seems to be thought by some that people resent such
instruction; the contrary, however, is the case, and, with lew exceptions,
mothers express their thanks for the advice given to them. Births need
not be registered for six weeks, and therefore the information comes
somewhat late; earlier notification is required, but meanwhile, through
the arrangements of the Westminster Health Society with various
societies and the hospitals, earlier information is obtained with respect
to their maternity cases. I take this opportunity of again expressing
how much the City is indebted to the work carried out by the
Westminster Health Society.
One of the chief causes of death which showed an improvement was
Diarrhoea, but Measles and Whooping Cough were prevalent, and a
number of deaths occurred from these causes. Deaths from these
diseases occur almost entirely among the poorer classes, and are due in
a great measure to the want of appreciation of the dangerous character
of these complaints. It is chiefly through the schools that information
reaches me when outbreaks occur, but so far as can be managed each
case is visited by one of the Women Inspectors, who advises the parents
with regard to the danger. In many instances no medical advice is
sought until pneumonia or inflammation of the bowels has set in (from
improper exposure of the child), and little can be done to save the
child's life.
St. John's Ward is again at the bottom of the list with the highest
death-rate. During the year several large buildings, housing at least
500 persons, have been closed in connection with the Millbank
Improvement Scheme, and this has, to some extent, led to an increase
in the number of persons in adjoining streets. The effect of a large
number of common lodging houses in this Ward is to increase the
death-rate to a marked extent, but, after making allowance for these
the rate is still excessive. Dr. Frank Robinson, at my request, has
examined the death returns of this Ward for four years, 1901-4,
and has prepared a long and interesting report thereon, from which
the extracts subjoined are taken. He states that, were common
lodging house deaths excluded, the average rate would have been
at least 3 per 1,000 lower. After deducting these deaths, it
appears that Sub-districts 3, 4, 5, and 12 (see map in previous