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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
101
found to be suffering from one or other of these complaints.
Only one death, however, occurred from Whooping Cough.
10 were registered as having died from Marasmus and
Atrophy. Eight died from Tuberculous diseases, one being
from Phthisis. The other deaths were from various causes,
chiefly Dentition and Convulsions.
"There is a decrease in the number of ineffectual visits
as compared with last year, this being due to the fact that,
instead of making five or six attempts to see the mother, as
before, this year, after two or three unsuccessful visits, we
wasted no further time and thus were enabled to visit more
infants. At the same time we found the proportion of
mothers who were forced to go to work early after confinement
quite as high as in former years, and for the same
cause—the lack of employment among the men. Wrong
addresses are still occasionally given, the reason in many
instances being a desire to evade vaccination.
"The second Table, No. L., shows the number of revisits—many
more than last year—and the method of feeding
then found, the average age at the second visit being
from four to five months.
"Comparing the result of our investigation with regard
to feeding at the first visit with that of last year (as shown
in Table XLIX.) it is gratifying to note that the number of
mothers giving food in addition to the breast is much less.
This is a point on which we have laid great stress in our
visits, the 'food' being always bread sop or biscuit. The
reason the mothers give us is that it soothes the child, sends
it to sleep, and 'makes it more contented.' Often young
mothers tell us that they have given the food on the advice of
neighbours, and are generally willing to discontinue it when
we point out to them how unnecessary it is, and also how
very risky. There is a foolish fallacy among mothers that
breast and cows' milk will not agree. This prejudice is being
gradually overcome, as may be seen by the increased number
now giving both. There is a growing tendency to use condensed
milk, especially during the summer, when there is a
difficulty in keeping cows' milk, another reason being the
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