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158
Including all deaths, the mortality rate for 1908 amongst
the new Depot-fed infants and children is 44 per 1000, and
this rate is much lower than those for the Borough of Lambeth
in general, and for Marsh Ward (where the milk Depot
is situated) and Bishop's or the other Inner Wards in particular.
If the mortality rate is calculated only on infants
and children. who have been fed upon the Depot milk for
continuous periods of 4 weeks and over, the rate is 16 per
1000, whilst the mortality rate amongst infants and children
fed upon the Depot milk for 13 weeks and over is nil.
The mortality rate amongst infants and children fed upon
the Depot milk for periods less than 4 weeks is 105.
Thus the rates per 1000 births for 1908 may be tabulated as
follows, quinquennial rates being added for comparison: —
Depot-fed Infants 44
Whole Borough 134*
Marsh 187*
Inner Wards 158*
The causes of the 8 deaths amongst the Depot-fed infants
and children deserve attention, and may be tabulated as follows:—consumption
of bowels and brain abscess, 1;
marasmus, 32; congenital malformations, 1; bronchitis, 1;
and diarrhoea and sickness, 2 Further, of the 18U infants and
children brought to the Depot, 132 (i.e., 73.3 per cent.) were
wasting, moribund or diseased, and of these 8 died (i.e., 6.1
per cent.), whilst the remaining 48 (i.e., 26.7 per cent.) were,
though tabulated as "healthy," with few exceptions, constitutionally
below par, and of these none died. These facts
must be taken into account in dealing with the mortalitv
returns.
'These are quinquennial rates