London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Wandsworth 1906

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]

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Report of the Medical Officer of Health. 89

Table: TABLE XLIV.

TABLE XLIV.

Method of Feeding.Age in Months.
0—3.3—6.6—9.9—12.Total
1.—Breast-fed only654...15
Do. and cows' milk411...6
Do. and condensed milk...1......1
2.—Cows' milk alone32392311105
Do. and farinaceous food11...1012
Do. and condensed milk and farinaceous food.........11
3.—Condensed milk alone81012...30
Do. and farinaceous food.........44
4.—Patent foods only mentioned121...4
5.—Unknown22318
Totals54614427186

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Out of the total of 178 where the exact kind of food was
ascertained, only 15, or 8.4 per cent., were nursed by the mother
without the addition of any other food.
In 118 or 66.2 per cent. of the deaths, cows' milk, either
alone or with farinaceous food, was used, while in 34 or 19 per
cent., condensed milk alone or with farinaceous food was used.
In four cases patent foods only were used.
The increased mortality during the year from Diarrhoea was
largely due to climatic conditions, the temperature having been
greatly in excess of the average, and the rainfall low. These
climatic conditions, combined with carelessness and ignorance of
the proper method of feeding, were responsible for the majority
of the deaths of these infants.
As regards climatic conditions the Chart shows how greatly
the temperature was in excess of the mean of the past 50 years,