London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Pancras 1906
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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Action taken during the Year.
During the year the action taken with regard to the prevention of the mortality of suckling infants is summarised as follows:—
| W. | S. | E. | N. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Births registered (majority within 2 months) | 1397 | 1139 | 1737 | 1471 | 5744 |
| Births on Midwives Lists (within 2 weeks) | 244 | 175 | 168 | 447 | 1034 |
| Voluntary Notifications (within 2 days)* | 76 | 40 | 109 | 142 | 367 |
* During only 17 weeks in the latter half of the year.
| 73 | |
| "Removed" | 83 |
| "Found correct | 1126 |
| Total | 1282 |
| 1869 | |
| Inquiries made | 1126 |
| Additional visits | 743 |
The mother of every one of the 5,744 infants horn has also received a card
of advice, setting out the method and mode of promoting breast feeding.
These efforts have been reinforced by the medical practitioners, midwives,
and nurses practising in St. Pancras.
Comparison of the past three years.
The total mortality of infants under one year of age per thousand births has
been during the last three years 1516, 135.7, and 131.1. This is a steady
reduction, and will bear closer analysis.
In the following table is set out the mortality of infants under one year
during each of the quarters of the past three years in England and Wales, the
76 large towns, 142 smaller towns, London, and St. Pancras, together with the
monthly 4 ft. earth temperature and rainfall. In this table it will be seen that
in the third or summer quarter of the year, which is the crucial period of
infant mortality, a remarkable diminution has taken place in St. Pancras
during the past two years, that is, since the St. Pancras scheme has been in
full working. This table shows —
1.—That the Infantile Mortality Rate of St. Pancras during the summer
quarter of 1905, as compared with the same quarter of l904, fell from
24 per 1,000 above to 4 per 1000 above that of London, and in the