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With the exception of the child who died none of these showed symptoms
of poisoning, and all responded satisfactorily to treatment.
As a result of all these foregoing investigations it seemed
that the probable source of poisoning was from the discarded paint
tins in the builders yard. The tins often filled with rain water
and the children, using them to sit on in their games, tipped the
water out on the dump. The boy aged 9 - an intelligent responsible
lad - remarked that he "stopped the children from drinking the
water from the tins" - a significant remark.
The children in the ground floor flat (ref.2) played exclusively
in their small garden, and never with the other children
but the builders dump abutted directly on their garden fence
which was very dilapidated and the dust from the dump constantly
drifted through into the little garden so that their toys would
be repeatedly contaminated by the lead-containing dust and dirt.
In group 1 the mother dried all the family washing on a line set
up in the builders yard and stretching across in front of the
builder s dump.
Steps were- taken to prevent access by children to the
builders yard and all such yards in the Borough were visited to
ensure that no paint tins were discarded where there was open
access by the public.
In the two families concerned, the entrance to their flats
was from an alleyway leading to the builders yard. These families
were rehoused immediately. The property concerned was due for
demolition and the whole site has now been cleared.
The children affected were all treated at St. Ann's Hospital
and laboratory investigations were carried out at Great Ormond St.
Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital. I should like to thank the
Staff at these Hospitals for all their help and co-operation.
INQUESTS
28 inquests were held following the deaths of Wood Green
residents during 1963. A further 88 post mortem examinations were
carried out without an inquest, 74 of these in the Prince of Wales
Hospital which, by arrangement with the Wood Green Borough Council,
provides mortuary services.
MATERNAL MORTALITY
No cases of maternal mortality were reported.
INFANT MORTALITY
There were 15 deaths of infants under one year of age. This
gives an infant death rate of 16.74 per 1,000 live births as
compared with 21 deaths and a rate of 29.5 in the preceding year.
Of the 15 infants who died in Wood Green during 1963, 9 were
neo-natal deaths, that is deaths occurring in the first month and
all 9 occurred during the first week of life. These very early
deaths now constitute the hard core of all infant deaths and are
under the most careful scrutiny.
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