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15
Infantile Mortality.—The corrected death-rate of infants for Westminster
was 68.6 per 1,000 births. The mortality among legitimate
infants was 64.5 per 1,000; that of illegitimate 104.1. The infant
mortality rate for London was 59.
The number of infants dying under 1 year was 96, the same as last
year, but, as the total number of births was less, the infantile mortality
rate has inevitably risen. The chief contributory causes of death were
prematurity and gastro-enteritis. Twenty-seven of the 28 premature
deaths occurred before the fourth week of life. It would appear on
enquiry that influences classified as follows were at work in causing
premature birth:—
In 4 instances there were twins, often a predisposing cause of premature
birth; the twins in one case were of the rare pathological variety
familiar to the public in the Siamese twins, joined together along the
spinal column. They were admitted to St. Thomas' Hospital and lived
for some days.
In 1 case the mother was suffering from consumption.
In 1 case the mother was suffering from pneumonia.
In 2 cases there was evidence of venereal disease.
In 2 cases there were congenital disease and malformation of infant.
In 2 cases there was history of shock and accident.
In 1 case there was ante-partum haemorrhage.
In 1 case there was displacement of womb.
In 1 case there was pre-existing kidney disease.
In 9 cases no cause could be ascribed for the premature onset of labour.
Gastro-enteritis accounted for 17 deaths, all of the infants being over
four months old. Only 2 of those occurred during the hot weather, and
might be attributed to what is commonly called " summer diarrhoea."
Six occurred in November in an institution, 3 of the cases having been
admitted for surgical conditions, and it would appear that they were .
infected after being admitted.

Of the 25 deaths occurring in the last quarter of the year, 9 were
attributable to enteritis, 7 of these children dying in one institution
within 21 days.