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tered, against 80.7 in 1908, and during the last ten
years the maximum rates reached were 136.88 in 1903,
and 129.8 in 1906.
During the last few years there has been a steadily
progressive decline of this rate, and the question
naturally arises as to the causes of this satisfactory
result. No doubt, climatic conditions very materially
contribute to a greater or less mortality among these
infants, and during the past year there prevailed cold
weather during the late summer and the autumnal
months, being the season when epidemic diarrhoea is
most prevalent. This is doubtless an important influencing
cause in connection with the subject, but it is
not to be lost sight of that in two of the poorest, if
not the poorest and most largely populated parts of
our borough, very beneficent and valuable work is
being carried on through the voluntary agency of the
"Ealing Ladies' Health Society," which not only
affords help in kind to children of necessitous families
where illness exists, but instructs mothers as to the
proper feeding and bringing up of infants. In the
face of the serious fact that in the country generally
the birth-rate is steadily decreasing, and to which
Ealing provides no exception, the importance of checking
the sad waste of infant life is beyond question.
Sanitary authorities are now becoming alive to the
necessity of adopting means to this end, and the most
effective measure appears to be the work performed by
properly qualified female health visitors. It must be
borne in mind that the valuable influences alluded to
above only affect one portion of our borough; indeed,
it may be said that they are practically restricted to
two wards—the Lammas and Drayton. As I write, I
learn that a creche is being established in South
Ealing, to be supported by voluntary agency. These
institutions are of valuable use to mothers at work, who
are necessarily compelled to leave their infants at
home for long intervals, and for the most part imperfectly
looked after and attended to. The result of
skilled care for such children is obviously valuable.
I may add that the appointment of a health visitor has