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Parish of Streatham.
89
compares very favourably with 26 during the year 1898.
For the past ten years the mortality has been higher
during the alternative years and is a point worthy of
particular comment, although no satisfactory explanation
can be given of the coincidence. During the year
more than half the cases, namely, 14, occurred between
the ages of one and five years.
Diarrhœa. During the year, 34 deaths from this
disease occurred in the sub-district, and
one in outlying institutions, representing a large reduction
compared with the mortality of the previous
year. With five exceptions, the whole of the cases
occurred amongst infants under one year of age, and
most of them were recorded during the months of
July, August and September, being the months of
the year when the temperature is highest and thereby
milk, &c., rapidly decomposes, and thus the mortality
is found to be considerably higher amongst hand-fed
infants. The desirability of boiling milk and withholding
all food in the least degree decomposed, cannot
be too strongly urged upon parents and others having
the feeding of infants.
The number of deaths from Influenza perse
Influenza.
was considerably lower during the year
under report, 18 deaths being recorded in Streatham
therefrom, although there were many other cases in
which it was a secondary cause associated with Bronchitis
and other respiratory diseases. There is reason to believe
that the term "Influenza" has been somewhat too freely
used in the past in diagnosing diseases of the latter
class. 14 of the deaths were amongst adults of the age
of 25 years and upwards. The corrected number of
deaths from this disease was 16.