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REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE YEAR 1907.
To the Mayor, Aldermen, and Councillors of the Metropolitan
Borough of Stoke Newington
Gentlemen,
The vital statistics of the Borough for the year 1907 are of the
usual satisfactory nature. The general death-rate of 11.2 is the
lowest recorded since the formation of the Borough. With the
exception of that for the Borough of Hampstead, it is the lowest in
the Metropolis; and it compares very favourably with the rate of 14.6
for the Metropolis as a whole.
During the year 1907, the rate of infantile mortality (the number
of deaths under one year of age to every thousand births) amounted
to only 97.9. It is the lowest since the formation of the Borough,
but five other Metropolitan Boroughs have a lower rate, namely:
St. Mary'ebone 68. Hampstead 72, Holborn 89, Lewisham 90, and
the City of London 97. At the present day, the effort to stem the
wastage of infant lives constitutes the most urgent need! of the
community. To this end many sanitary authorities have obtained
the services of women workers, who are mostly salaried officials. In
Stoke Newington, five ladies give their services voluntarily to the
Borough; and, under my direction, and with the capable assistance
of Miss Gardner, they have visited and advised many mothers who
stood in need of their assistance. Valuable as these services have
proved, there is an urgent need in the Borough for the appointment
of one of those paid female officials who are now doing such good
work under several of the sanitary authorities of the Metropolis.
The Notification of Births Act (1907) has increased the urgency of
this provision. A further reference to this work is made on pp. 15
to 17 of this report.