London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Acton 1911

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Acton]

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48
Week
ended.
Mean reading
of Thermometer.
Rainfall.
Deaths of
infants under
1 year in London.
Deaths
from Diarrhoea
in Acton.
Aug. 19th
„ 26th
Sept. 2nd
„ 9th
„ 16th
„ 23rd
69.4°F.
(x7.2°)
63.9°F
( )
65.3°F.
(x5.2°)
66.9°F.
(x7.7°)
60 3°F.
(x2.4)
54.3°F.
(_1.9°)
.58in. 636
.29in. 705
.41in. 712
.0lin. 622
.41in. 555
.48in. 442
14
14
11
10
6
2
With regard to the mean temperature, it is compared with
the week's average in the 65 years ended 1905.
X means above the average; — means below the average.
Although it is generally accepted that summer Diarrhoea is
in the large majority of cases due to bacterial infection, there is
no certainty as to the sources of infection.
The most important vehicle of infection undoubtedly is milk.
Infants artificially fed are much more exposed to infection than
breast-fed infants, partly on account of the greater opportunity
whereby milk, other than from the breast, can be contaminated.
Of the 68 deaths that occurred, 4 were breast fed and 64 were
artificially fed.
Professor Delapine adduces evidence showing that-milk, as
it arrives from a distance in towns, may have much to do with
the spread of the disease. This is very doubtful, and the evidence
in this district does not suggest the theory. The source of the
milk supply in the South West Ward is not very different to that
in the other wards, but out of the .68 deaths from Diarrhoea and
Enteritis 33 were in the South-West Ward, 13 in the North-East,
12 in the South-East and 10 in the North-West Ward.