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precautions should be taken to prevent the infection of those
living in the same house. The example set by one patient is worth
all the leaflets which can be distributed.
Voluntary notification has been in force for 5 years, and last
year 6 cases were notified.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
183 Deaths under 1 year of age were registered in the district.
and 17 infants under 1 year of age died in public institutions beyond
the district, making a total of 200. This latter figure corresponds
to an infantile mortality of 130 per 1,000 births, or a deathrate
of 3.8 per 1,000 inhabitants.
In 1906 the infantile mortality in England and Wales was 118
in the 76 large towns it amounted to 127; and in the 142 smaller
towns it was 122.
The deaths were distributed as follows:—
North-East Ward 31
North-West Ward 23
South-East Ward 32
South-West Ward 114
The infantile mortality in each ward would be:—
North-East 94 per 1,000 births.
North-West 108 per 1,000 births.
South-East 100 per 1,000 births.
South-West 170 per 1,000 births.
At the January meeting of the Health Committee, I was requested
to report upon the milk supply of the district in so far as
it affects directly or indirectly the infantile mortality.
Although the question resolves itself to a consideration of the
conditions under which children are handfed, it is not advisable
that our survey should be limited to this aspect alone, but should
also include some of the factors which render hand-feeding inevitable.