[Report 1902] / Medical Officer of Health, Pontypool Local Board / U.D.C.

  • Pontypool (Wales). Local Board.
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1902] / Medical Officer of Health, Pontypool Local Board / U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the average birth-rate for the past 10 years is 31*97 ; by this it will be seen that the population is not decreasing. Twenty-three of those born during the year died before completing one year of age, giving a rate of infant mortality per 1,000 born of 115. This is exceedingly satisfactory, as the average death-rate for infants under one year of age for the past 10 years in your district is 152 66 per 1,000 born. The rate of infant mortality during the year under review is the lowest since 1896, when it was 21 per 1,000 born. By the preceding figures you will observe that your population during the past year has made a nett gain of 119. Several remarks in my former annual reports have dealt with the want of care taken in the proper feeding of infants, and I am inclined to think that some heed has been taken by those having charge of young children in this respect, as I find that the rate of infant mortality for several years past has been gradually decreasing, and I can only repeat what I have so often said, that the improper feeding of infants, together with the wanton exposure they are often subject to by inexperienced mothers, is the first and foremost cause of the increased infantile death-rate. The extremes of life, whichever end is taken, are the least robust portion of it, and it behoves those having charge of infants to get the best possible advice as to the feeding. When the mother’s milk fails, the natural food supply to the infant is lost, then great care and discretion is required to find it a suitable sustenance. A high rate of infant mortality is a serious infliction on a population from whatever cause it may arise, and it means in the future fewer men and women. Probably the higher rate of wages now obtainable by the working classes, and which enables them to get more home comforts, may have considerably assisted in greater care. The zymotic death-rate from all notifiable diseases, including diarrhoea and whooping-cough was *97 per 1,000 of the population during the year ; this is very low, and compares well with the same death-rate of former years. I enclose Tables I., III., and IV., properly filled up as required by the Local Government Board. Table I. gives the vital statistics for 1902 and the previous 10 years. This is a very useful table, and the birth-rates, death-rates, and their averages for that period can be seen at a glance. Table II., which does not apply to your area, I have not enclosed. Table III. supplies you with all the information you require respecting cases of infectious disease notified during 1902. Table IV. gives the causes of death and the ages of persons dying during 1902. These various tables are supplied by the central authority, and have been very carefully filled up by myself. They are statistics of no mean value, and I presume they will be printed at the end of this report for the use of members of your Council. It is only by carefully considering each table separately