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Diarrhœa and Enteritis were responsible for 40 deaths,
corresponding to a death-rate of .68. The deaths were distributed
through the Wards as follows:—
St. Mary's 2 Dundonald 4
St. John's 2 Trinity 15
Cottenham Park 1 South Park 16
North Wimbledon 5 South Wimbledon 35
During the year there was an excellent instance of the
way in which other influences may affect the health of an
infant. In one of the houses in South Wimbledon one infant
was seriously ill for a considerable time as a result of acute
gastro-enteritis, which was undoubtedly due to the proximity
of a fish shop whose yard abutted on the side of the house
in question. The fishmonger's boxes and offal tin were kept
in his backyard, and during the hot weather there were
swarms of flies which infested the neighbouring house, and
were the undoubted cause of the child's illness, the flies being
the carriers of infection. Everything was done to get the
boxes cleansed and the offal removed as soon as possible, but
even then the place was always swarming with flies.
The shopkeeper in question would undoubtedly be much
hurt if he were taxed with being the cause of this child's
illness and the expense and anxiety to which the parents were
put, and yet there is no doubt whatever that the condition of
his premises was the direct cause of the child's illness.
Houses in the same row, further removed from the shop in
question, were little bothered with flies.
Infantile Mortality.—By the term "Infantile Mortality"
is meant the proportion of infants who died before reaching
the age of twelve months to the total number born during
the year. This is the method required by the Local Government
Board in their Statistical Tables, and permits of
accurate comparison. To calculate the infantile death-rate
on the population, or on the deaths at all ages, as is sometimes
done, is absolutely valueless.
There were 117 such deaths during the year (including
transferable deaths), or 104 per thousand registered births,
showing an increase of 37 on last year's rate, when there
were 76 deaths and a rate of 67. The previous year there
were 125 deaths, and the rate was 110. The average for the
past five years is 801.
The infantile mortality amongst illegitimate children was
115, as compared with 84 for the legitimate.
30