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12
The fact that the maternal mortality rate throughout the country as a whole has,
in spite of the development of Maternity and Child Welfare work and social services
not fallen during recent years, has excited widespread interest. A special Committee
has been set up by the Ministry of Health to investigate the matter. It has been
thought advisable to investigate thoroughly the arrangements for patients' care
obtaining in Shoreditch, and a report on the matter by the Assistant Medical Officcr
of Health will be found in the Maternity and Child Welfare Section of this report.
The recommendations contained in this portion of Dr. Fanning's report have my full
support.
It will be noted from the Table on page 8 that the chief causes of death of
children between the ages of one and two years were Measles and Pneumonia—
these two causes in fact accounted for 49 out of a total of 69 deaths between these
ages. The same two diseases were responsible for 31 out of the 51 deaths of children
aged two to live years.
Altogether 284 or 20.6 per cent. of the total number of deaths of all ages were of
children under the age of 5 years.
Considering the deaths at all ages the chief causes arc seen to be as follows:—
Heart disease, 193 (14 per cent.); Cancer, 143 (10 per cent.); Tuberculosis, all forms,
136 (10 per cent.) ; Pneumonia, all forms, 130 (9 per cent.). The number of deaths
due to accidents in connection with vehicular traffic was 15. In the years 1919 to
1927, inclusive, the corresponding figures were respectively 8, 16, 10, 12, 9, 15, 14, 16
and 21. The particulars regarding the deaths from cancer are contained in the
following table.