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92
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
It must be noted, however, that the visits of the Inspector
are only made among the labouring classes, and that of the 397
births not visited in the Springfield Ward the great majority
were among persons of a higher social condition, among whom
the mortality from Diarrhoea is very small.
From a careful examination of these returns I am decidedly
of opinion that the work of the Inspectors has been of the very
greatest benefit, and taking into consideration the great increase
of population, especially of the working-class population, the
mortality is lower than was expected.
The meteorological conditions were this year most favourable
for all intestinal diseases, and over the whole of England the
mortality from these diseases has been above the average.
As will be seen from the Table the Inspectors chiefly confine
their work to the Tooting, Fairfield, and Springfield Wards, and
I am of opinion that it would be most desirable for the Council to
appoint one Health Visitor, who could, under the Sanitary
Inspectors, undertake the visiting of houses after notification of
births and who could devote all her time to such work. If the
appointment were made it would then be possible to extend the
work to the other Wards of the Borough.