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quarter, differing thus in a noteworthy manner from the general mortality of
the District. The quarters, however, showing the highest and lowest rates
of sickness at the Dispensary, and the similar rates of mortality in the District
correspond.
The fact that the highest rate of mortality and the highest rate of sickness
do not correspond as regards the quarter of the year when they occur,
demonstrates the necessity of a national registration of disease for scientific
and sanitary purposes. Much of the practical value of preventive measures
depends upon a prompt application of them on the occurrence of epidemic
or other sickness ; but this advantage is necessarily lost if we must wait for
a knowledge of the prevalence of the disease, until some future publication
of the mortality tables.
The British Lying-inn Hospital.—The mortality in the British Lying-in
Hospital has been lower than usual in the past year. There is a discrepency
however, between the number of deaths reported by the Registrar General
and those recorded in the Hospital books. The Registrar General returns
the deaths of 4 women and 3 children. The Hospital books show the deaths
of 2 women and 2 children only.
The number of women delivered was 152, and of children born 154. Of
the two women who died, one had measles, under which she was suffering
when she was received into the hospital; the other was comsumptive, dying
at last of puerperal mania. These deaths may be regarded therefore, as unavoidable.
Keeping in view the disadvantages of Lying-in Hospitals
generally, as a means of aiding women in their child-birth, it is satisfactory
to find, that last year this Institution did not sustain any deaths which may
be fairly attributed to hospital infection.
Of the children who died, one was acephalous and lived but a short time ;
the other was the offspring of the woman who died of puerperal mania.
There were, besides the foregoing, 11 still-births, of which the Registrar
General takes no account. Our satistics are sadly deficient in this respect;
for although in hospitals, death from other than natural causes is not likely to
happen; yet, out of hospitals, and among the depraved, the allegement of
"still birth" may cover a multitude of crimes. If it were required that
every "still-birth" should be certified by a medical practitioner, the public
would have a guarantee that the true cause of death had been ascertained.
This Hospital was closed for a short time in order to be cleansed after this
occurrence of the case of measles. It is possibly owing to a rule that had
been enjoined, as I have been informed, not to receive women suffering from
organic diseases, that the mortality at this Hospital was lower last year than
heretofore.
The Infant's Home.—Fewer children than usual were received into the
Infants' Home last year. The whole number was 59, of whom 16 died.
None of these belonged to St. Giles District. A new method of dealing with
the children admitted here has been adopted. The younger infants are no
longer kept in the House, but as soon as they are fit to be weaned, they are
taken from their mothers and confided to women to be nursed at their private
homes. These women receive on an average 5s. a week, and they are required
to bring the children to the Matron once a week for inspection. The weekly
inspection is the only safeguard—and I hope it will prove a sufficient one—
against the danger that always besets these attempts to rear children under
the care of strange women—the danger that the weekly stipend will be spent
upon other than its intended purposes, and that the infant will suffer neglect.
Under the most favourable circumstances nursing by strangers is prejudicial
to the child; one is however unwilling to discourage any humane attempt to
rescue from almost certain death, the offspring of fallen mothers; I should
therefore, wish anything that I have said to be received rather as a caution
than a reproof.