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l09
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
If we add to this the number of children where other foods were
given in addition to the breast we find that the percentage is
increased to 88. These percentages are almost similar to those
in 1906.
94 or 5.8 per cent, were fed on cows' milk only, but 21 had
in addition other food, rasing the percentage to 7.1.
37 had condensed milk only, and 13 had condensed milk and
food, a total of 50, or 3'i per cent.; while nine infants were fed on
farinaceous food only.
With reference to the cases re-visited it was found that out
of a total of 784, 507 or 64.6 per cent, were still breast fed only,
compared with a percentage of 78 on the occasion of the first visit.
The total number of deaths among those infants visited by
the Inspectors was 49, and of these only 20 died from Diarrhoea
or Enteritis.
The mortality rate of those infants visited was thus only 30
per 1,000, compared with 101 per 1,000 over the whole Borough.
This in itself shows that the work carried out by the Inspectors
has been beneficial, and more especially if it be considered that the
visits are almost wholly among the poor, among whom the infantile
mortality rate is as a rule high.
The following Table shows the death-rate from Zymotic
Diseases for the Borough for the year as well as for the three
previous years.