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stamped out as small-pox, for example, has been.
With regard to cancer, the only remark I have to
make is the consolatory one, that the latest researches
conclusively show that the disease cannot be considered
an hereditary one.
Infantile Mortality.
It is especially satisfactory to be able to record a
still further decrease in the number of deaths under
this head.
The total number of deaths of infants under one
year are 101, against 112 in 1907, and 152 in 1906.
This is the lowest number registered since 1900 (sixtyseven),
notwithstanding the increase of population in
the interval. The reasons for this happy result are
several; one being the temperate summers of the
past two years, which greatly spared these infants the
fatal incidence of diarrhceal diseases; and another,
which in my opinion has great influence in one of the
poorer districts of the borough, and should not be
overlooked, viz., the exceedingly useful work voluntarily
performed by members of the " Ealing Women's
Health Association " in South Ealing. I referred to
this beneficent work in my last annual report, and from
further experience I am still more strongly impressed
with the excellent results achieved. It should be
realised that this society is actually, and most efficiently
carrying out solely at its own cost, within a
limited area, work of a preventive character relative
to infantile mortality, a duty, too, which in many districts
not dissimilar to ours, is performed by paid
health visitors, and one which no ordinary sanitary
male inspector can possibly fulfil. In my official position
I am only too ready to afford any assistance
possible to this society, so greatly do I appreciate its
valuable work. An infantile death rate of 80.7 is a
gratifying result to record as against 121 under one
year per thousand for England and Wales.