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31
RESULTS OF THE ACTION TAKEN.
During the year 1912,of 5008 live births registered, 4660, or 93.1 per cent.,
wore notified within 36 hours, and. in addition, 123 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.
The effect upon the infantile mortality has been as follows:
In 1904 = 151.6 deaths of infants per 1000births.
„ 1905 = 135.7 „ „ „
„ 1906 = 131.1
,.1907 = 113.8
„ 1908 = 115.0
„ 1909 = 108.8
,,1910=107 8
„ 1911 = 121.3 (112.1)*
„ 1912 = 94.3 (88.0)*
The Position of St. Pancras.
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.

* The figure in brackets is the corrected figure (sec note on next page).