View report page

6
Table E, which is an additional table inserted in the
Appendix by direction of the Local Government Board, gives
interesting details of the causes of mortality among infants.
Special efforts have been made during the year to educate
parents in regard to measures which should have the effect of
considerably reducing the infantile mortality, more particularly
when caused by diseases which are usually due to ignorance in
feeding, and are therefore preventable.
Zymotic Diseases.—Notwithstanding the fact that the
number of cases notified during the year was larger than in the
previous year, the mortality was considerably lower, showing
that the disease was less severe in character. The zymotic
death-rate for the period under review amounted to 0*83 jier
1,000, compared with 1'40 in 1904. This rate compares most
favourably with that for the County of London, 1*70 ; England
and Wales, 152 ; and the 76 great towns, 1'88.
Phthisis.—The death-rate from phthisis amounted to
0.87 per 1,000, and was the lowest but one in the County of
London ; Hampstead being the lowest with 0.83 per 1,000.
Notifiable Infectious Diseases.- The number of cases
notified during the year was greater than that for the preceding
year, the attack rate from all infectious diseases amounting to
5.88 per 1,000, compared with 3.93 in 1904. This increase is
chiefly due to the larger number of cases of Scarlet Fever which
were notified. Seventy per cent, of the patients were removed
to Hospital for isolation, and 7.62 per cent. of this number were
returned as not suffering from any infectious disease. In 1904
the percentage of erroneous diagnosis was 9.35.
In January we were threatened with an outbreak of
Small-pox, in consequence of the non-notification of cases in
Mill Road, Lewisham. Fortunately we were able to obtain
control over the whole of the contacts.