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A large proportion of Westminster babies are breast-fed, but from
the condition of the health of the mother or child, or both, it sometimes
happens that the child has to be weaned at an early age. If the mother
is in bad health or is insufficiently nourished, the milk supplied cannot
be sufficient in quality or quantity for the child, and thus hand-feeding
has to be resorted to. Fortunately, a small proportion only of babies
in Westminster are weaned on account of the mother's work. When it
does occur, it leads to the infant being left in charge of neighbours or
children. Illegitimacy also leads to the same result, and the child is
generally nursed out with a stranger; instances of neglect in both
classes of cases are recorded. Unfortunately, the intemperate habits of
some mothers render them equally neglectful, and in two instances
in which proceedings were taken by the National Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children, women were sent to prison for
neglecting their children; in one case two children died.
Cause of death at all Ages.—These are set forth in Table VI, and
also their distribution in the various Wards of the City. There is
a large increase (17) over 1906 in deaths from influenza and diseases
of the respiratory system (78), but there is also a large decrease (49) in
diarrhceal diseases. Deaths from violence (accidents, suicides, &c.), are
also considerably (29) less.
Statistics of Dwellers in Block Dwellings.—These are set out in
Table XII.

Attention is at once drawn to the extremely high birth-rate. The
rate for St. John's Ward, in which the Buildings are situated, is 29.6
for the same period. In the adjoining County Council Buildings at
Millbank the average rate is 38.0, in the Peabody Buildings
27.25, and in the Improved Industrial Buildings 15.0, the difference
being due to the ages of the residents. In the course of time the birthrate
will, doubtless, approximate to the rates in these older buildings,