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15
Infant Mortality.
During the year, 429 infants died before they were a
twelvemonth old, and 665 before they were 5 years of age,
that is, of all the deaths during the year, more than one-third
were those of children under 5 years of age. The number of
deaths of infants under one year of age was 227 per thousand
births. With only one exception this is the highest of any
District in London. The number for the whole of London
was 160 per 1000 births.
35 deaths were due to Influenza. These occurred mostly
in the first quarter of the year.
98 deaths were due to old age. This corresponds to a
death rate of 1.5 per thousand of the population.
Notification of Infectious Disease.
486 Notifications were received during the year of which
169 referred to Diphtheria, 103 to Erysipelas, 145 to Scarlet
Fever, 67 to Enteric Fever and 2 to Puerperal Fever. This
number is very satisfactory when we compare it with the number
in previous years. There is a sudden drop in the number
for 1898 and I can account for it partly for this reason, that
when I was appointed by the Board at the end of 1897, the
method of carrying out the disinfection of rooms was not
satisfactory,
In 1892 the number of notifications was 771
„ 1893 „ „ „ 1298
„ 1894 „ „ „ 719
„ 1895 „ „ „ 755
„ 1896 ,, „ „ 764
„ 1897 ,, „ ,, 754
„ 1898 „ „ „ 461
„ 1899 ,, „ „ 501
„ 1900 ,, „ „ 486
In all doubtful cases of Diphtheria, swabs from the throats,
and the blood in Typhoid Fever were examined Bacteriologically
free of charge to the General Practitioners. During the
year 17 doubtful cases were so examined, with 6 positive results
and ii negative.