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106
tember. The mean air temperature was correspondingly
increased, whilst the rain-fall was very slight. During the
3rd quarter, 1906, the corrected infantile mortality rate for
Lambeth is 173 per 1,000 births, as compared with 187 for
the County of London. Taking the 10 South Metropolitan
Boroughs it is interesting to note the position which Lambeth
takes amongst them, thus :—•
Corrected rate
District. per 1,000 births.
Woolwich 136
Greenwich 165
Lewisham 171
Lambeth 173
Battersea 178
Deptford 200
Camberwell 200
Wandsworth 208
Bermondsey 214
Southwark 216
The three South Metropolitan Districts which show a
lower infantile mortality rate, are not strictly comparable
with Lambeth, in that such districts, are, in part, semicountry.
In addition to the above, Kensington, Hammersmith,
Fulham, Chelsea, Finsbury, Shoreditch, Bethnal
Green and Poplar have a higher mortality rate than Lambeth.
The year 1905 (3rd quarter) was also unfavourable to
infantile life on account of the meteorological conditions,
but not so unfavourable as 1906, and yet the infantile mortality
for 1905 (3rd quarter) for Lambeth was 202, as compared
with 173 for 1906 (3rd quarter).
It is somewhat difficult to account entirely for this difference
in the mortality rate, but it may be claimed that some portion
of its satisfactory nature is due to the special work of the
Female Sanitary Staff in dealing with (a) deaths of infants
under one year of age; and (b) notification of births; whilst
the influence of the Milk Depot may also have contributed
its share. Many factors are involved in dealing with the
prevention of infantile mortality, and not the least important
is the educative influence of the establishment in a district
of a Milk Depot, and the visiting of mothers at their own
homes by the Female Sanitary Inspectors.
Joseph Priestley.
10th December, 1906.