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6
The following table shows the principal causes of deaths of children under one year of age
and the infantile mortality year by year up to and including 1937:—

Actually few children under the age of one should lose their lives. I say this because of the
fact that the infantile mortality rate amongst clinic attendants was only 25 per 1,000 births, whereas
amongst non-clinic attendants it was 145 per 1,000 births. These figures are arrived at by knowing
that out of the 3,058 Willesden children born alive in 1937, 2,053 attended the Health Centres, of
whom 51 died, giving an infantile mortality rate amongst clinic attendants of 25 per 1,000 births.
1,005 children born in Willesden in 1937 did not attend the clinics and of this number 146 died before
reaching the age of one, thus giving an infantile mortality rate amongst non-clinic attendants of
145 per 1,000 births.
It should be noted that the infantile mortality rate of 25 amongst clinic attendants compares
with a rate of 24 in 1936 and 30 in 1935, and the infantile mortality rate of 145 amongst non-clinic
attendants compares with a rate of 120 in 1936 and 121 in 1935.
CANCER.
In Willesden, in 1937, there were 281 deaths from Cancer, as compared with 302, 266, 281, 260,
250, 250, 214, 239, in each of the previous eight years.
The two Cancer clinics are held : one at Health Centre (1) on the first and third Thursdays of
the month from 7 to 8 p.m., and the other at Health Centre (2) on the second and fourth Thursdays
at the same hour. No treatment is attempted, the object being to get early contact, to secure diagnosis
and treatment if necessary, or to give reassurance as the case may be. Treatment or diagnosis is
obtained at certain of the larger London Hospitals with which the Council has made satisfactory
working arrangements. If a patient is under a private doctor, who can be located, the latter is communicated
with and the result of any examination, or advice as to treatment, is made known to him as
soon as possible. Propaganda in the form of posters, leaflets, advertisements, articles in the press
and talks, has been continued.
During 1937, 74 patients attended the Clinics, of whom 46 were new cases (8 men and 38 women),
and 28 had attended during 1936 or previously.
The total attendances made during 1937 were 93. Of the 46 new cases, 4 were found to reside
out of the district and were dismissed after being examined and suitably directed as to the means of
securing proper investigation and treatment. The remaining 42 cases, after examination, were disposed
of as follows:—
27 were referred to a hospital for further investigation;
6 were referred back to their own doctors;
6 were kept under observation and asked to re-attend (5 of these were finally discharged
before the end of the year);
3 were reassured and discharged on their first visit.