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Report of the Medical Officer of Health. 91
In the Borough of Battersea this rate was 92, and in London
as a whole 112.
Of the total deaths from Diarrhoea and Enteritis, 180 were
of children under one year, and special enquiry was made in each
death to ascertain how the child was fed.
The total number of deaths was 180, and in only six of these
could no information be obtained, chiefly on account of the fact
that the parents had removed from the district.
In 11, or 6.1 per cent. of the deaths, the infant was nursed
by the mother, whereas 91.1 per cent. were otherwise fed, the
majority on cows' milk or condensed milk.
20 of the deaths were of illegitimate children and eight were
nurse children who had been born in other parts of London.
48 of the infants were either prematurely born or were delicate
from birth, and under normal circumstances these would
probably have succumbed in the first two months of life.
As regards social status of the parents (deducting the 20
illegitimate deaths), it was found that 61 were labourers, 36
artizans, 33 small tradesmen, while the other 30 were of various
occupations.
It is hardly possible to state exactly from these statistics
whether the work which has been carried out by the Inspectors
of the Council has been the means of preventing many deaths
from this disease, although it may be shown by reference to the
figures that such work has been beneficial. For example, in
Tooting where the mortality was greatest, of the 45 deaths 17
had been previously visited by the Inspector after notification of
the birth. The mortality among those visited previously was only
3.6, while among those not visited this mortality was 8'3 per
cent.
In Wandsworth, however, the figures do not show such satisfactory
results, the mortality among those visited in Springfield
Ward having been 3.9, and among those not visited 3.5 per cent.