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5
Diarrhœa.—Forty-five deaths took place from diarrhoea.
The annual average of the last 10 years having been 41.54.
1876.—Vaccination.—Although we have had one death
from small-pox, we are able, as formerly, to show a clean bill
of health in this respect. This is no doubt mainly owing to
the careful manner in which the provisions of the vaccination
act are carried out in this district by the vaccination officers.
Of 1,490 births in 1876, 116 died not vaccinated; of the
remaining 1,374 the number of infants vaccinated amounted
to 1,347.
Out of 470 births in Penge, 402 were vaccinated.
The subjects which seem to require special consideration
as derived from the statistics herewith laid before you are the
mortality of young children, and the presence of epidemic
disease.
Infant Mortality.
The causes of infant mortality have occupied the minds
of those interested in the subject for many years, and although
the causes may be known, the remedy appears to be so difficult
of application that no really beneficial result is obtained.
The causes of its difficulty may be in the reason that it is
the out-come of ignorance, and in fact that kind of ignorance
which affects, more or less, all classes.
Nursing mothers think it necessary to fortify themselves
with alcoholic drinks, and stimulants are taken for the
fallacious purpose of increasing the supply of the infants'
aliment; but these stimulants not only injure themselves, but
poison the infant.
Many infants are brought up by hand, and it the milk is
obtaiued from healthy grass fed cows will thrive well upon
the bottle, but their nutriment is often carelessly given at considerably
too hot a temperature, and the infant suffers.
Foods, with various names and flaming testimonials, are
given either with or without milk, with the erroneous idea of