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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 1910

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]

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27
RESULTS OF THE ACTION TAKEN.
During the year 1910, of 5,385 live births registered, 4,601, or 85.4 percent.,
were notified within 36 hours—that te to say, nearly three-fourths of the livebirths
were promptly notified, and, in addition, 130 still-births. The sending
of cautionary letters in cases where there has been omission to notify is having
the effect of bringing the notifications in earlier.

Table: The effect upon the infantile mortality has been as follows:—

The effect upon the infantile mortality has been as follows:—

In 1904=151.6 deaths of infants per 1000 births.
„ 1905=135.7 ,, ,, ,,
„ 1906=131.1 ,, ,, ,,
„ 1907=113.8 ,, ,, ,,
„ 1908=115.0 ,, ,, ,,
,, 1909=108.8 ,, ,, ,,
„ 1910=107.8 ,, ,, ,,

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THE POSITION OF ST. PANCRAS.
The summers of 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910 were cold summers, and the
St. Pancras method of prevention was not put to the test of comparison with
other boroughs and towns in the third quarter of the year. It was in this hot
quarter of the year that St. Pancras did so well, by comparison, in lowering the
mortality, as shown by the three years 1904, 1905, and 1906, especially in the
last and hottest year of the three. When it is called to mind what a large
proportion of infant mortality is caused by summer diarrhoea and other diseases
due to improper feeding in the hot weather, it is apparent that the principal
test of the value of a system of saving infant life by breast-feeding is the total
mortality in the third, or summer quarter of the year. The prevalence of
measles exerts its main effect in the second and fourth quarters, and cold in
the presence of poverty, which connotes insufficient clothing and warming in
the first or winter quarter of the year, and prematurity, more or less, all the
year round.

Table: The Quarterly and Annual position of merit of St. Pancras, compared to London Boroughs and the 76 large towns, for the years 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910 in regard to Infantile Mortality:—

The Quarterly and Annual position of merit of St. Pancras, compared to London Boroughs and the 76 large towns, for the years 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910 in regard to Infantile Mortality:—

29 London Boroughs.1st Qr.2nd Qr.3rd Qr.4th Qr.Year.
190422nd11th25th15th19th
190524th12th18th21st19th
190625th19th13th17th13th
19076th25th20th12th9th
190827th16th12th14th13th
190920th12th18th18th12th
191011th25th18th22nd16th