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inspection was made in 223 cases. Of the 223 investigations,
78, or 35 per cent., were due to epidemic diarrhoea, enteritis,
marasmus or malnutrition. Only 29 children were breast-fed.
In 33 cases the mothers had been engaged in work regularly
during their child's life, necessitating the child being placed
under the care of some other woman during working hours.
ZYMOTIC DEATH RATE.
The Zymotic death rate is calculated upon the total
deaths occurring at all ages from the principal infectious diseases,
viz.:—Small-Pox, Measles, Scarlet, Typhus and Typhoid
Fevers, Whooping Cough, Epidemic Diarrhœa, Enteritis and
Dysentery.
This death rate is also a valuable test of the sanitary
condition of a district, and in this respect Lewisham maintains
a high position.
For the year under review it amounted to 0.83 per 1,000
persons, compared with 1.70 for the County of London, 1.52
England and Wales (or 0.53 per 1,000 below the mean proportion
in the 10 preceding years), and 1.88 for the 76 Great
Towns. Of the ten South Metropolitan Boroughs, Lewisham
possesses the lowest rate.
This Borough shows a decrease of 0.57 in the Zymotic
death rate over that of the previous year. (See Tables 12 and 17).
Of the total 120 deaths from the principal infectious
diseases, Measles accounted for 41, Scarlet Fever 5, Whooping
Cough 24, Diphtheria 8, Enteric Fever 6, Epidemic Diarrhœa
and Enteritis 32, and Small-Pox 4. (See Table 14).
The death rates from the above diseases for the whole
Borough, the County of London, and the 76 Great Towns, have