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15
Eight deaths were definitely stated to be due to chronic
alcoholism. In other words, of every hundred persons dying above
the age of 25 four were certified to have died from the effects of
alcohol. The actual number that so died was no doubt greater.
Table V. deserves special attention. It will be seen that in
all 65 deaths of infants under 1 year in age are analysed. Of these
65 deaths so many as 19 are ascribed to premature birth, although
in eight instances the children survived one week. Nine children
died from nutritional defects and seven from diarrhoea.
Seven died from meningitis and three from suffocation.
It is obvious that, although much has been done, much more
may yet be done to reduce our infantile death rate.
Housing of the Working Classes.
The demand for increasing housing facilities caused by the
influx of motor men and other artisans has been lately met to a
great extent by the subletting of small houses of a rental of £28—32
a year or thereabouts, in which, a few years ago, but one family
resided.
The difficulties and evils to which this has given rise are
apparent, and the Sanitary Department has given special attention
to the subject.
A block of Workmen's cottages of a distinctly good type has
been built by private enterprise in Mortlake, and is already well
filled.
In the early part of 1907 further consideration was given
to my special report of May, 1906, on the condition of what is known
as the "Malthouse Area" in Barnes.