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96
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
In 12 cases no information was obtainable and of the remaining
48, three were twin children, two of them being premature, and
one had gastric catarrh and Ophthalmia Neonatorum from birth ;
three were premature, one of whom was dying when visited ; one
was in Victoria Hospital from three weeks to four months, then
an in-patient at Vincent Square Hospital from four to nine months,
and then in the Union Infirmary for two months where it died at
the age of 11 months; another suffering from Hydrocephalus was
an in-patient in two hospitals and died in the third; one had
Whooping Cough at three months followed by Bronchitis and
constant Diairhoea from four months, dying at the age of six
months; another attended Victoria Hospital for six months for
nasal obstruction and wasting; six were born delicate, one of
whom was paralysed, and the father of another suffered from
Pulmonary Tuberculosis, and the mother had to go out to work.
Of the 12 in which no information was obtained, three had
removed, one was a wrong address, and three were born in the Union
Infirmary and died there. Of these three, two were twins, the
mother dying at confinement; in one case the mother died of Enteric
Fever 14 days after confinement, and the baby was taken to the
Union Infirmary and died there; two, illegitimate, were born
elsewhere and died in the Union Infirmary whilst the mothers
were in a home in this Borough waiting to be placed in situations;
one went from the Workhouse to the Union Infirmary and died
there; and in one case only was information refused.
In 34 of the 48 cases investigated the rubber dummy was in use.
The next Table shows the result of the inquiiies made after
these deaths, arranged in Wards, and there is also shown the
number of infants who had been previously visited, the number
of illegitimate infants, and the social status of the parents.
It will also be seen in the Table that only four of the infants who
died from Diarrhoea had been fed in accordance with the pamphlet
left by the Inspectors, and also that of the total number of deaths
in which information was obtained, viz.:—48, six were prematurely
born, 11 were delicate from birth, and five were twin children.
Of the four stated to have been fed n accordance with the
instructions on the pamphlet, one suffeied from Hydrocephalus,
and one from Whooping Cough.