[Report 1923] / Medical Officer of Health, Gillingham (Kent) Borough.

  • Gillingham (Kent, England). Borough Council.
Date:
1923
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1923] / Medical Officer of Health, Gillingham (Kent) Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Danger Signals that may mean Cancer. 1. Every lump in the breast of a woman, especially after 40 years of age. All such lumps are not Cancer, but a doctor should be consulted at once. 2. Any irregular or excessive bleeding at the change of life is suspicious. 3. Recurrence of bleeding or presence of discharge after the change of life is almost invariably due to Cancer. 4. Any sore on the lower lip that does not heal, especially in a man over 40 years of age, is usually Cancer. 5. Any sore or swelling of the tongue in a man over 40 years of age should be thoroughly examined at once. 6. Onset of persistent indigestion and loss of weight in middle life may be Cancer. 7. Bleeding from the bowels after 40 years of age may be due to “ piles ” or Cancer. INFANTILE MORTALITY. The deaths under one year were 52, as compared with 70 in 1922 ; 82 in 1921 ; and 70 in 1920. The infantile mortality rate (deaths under one year per 1,000 births) was 4-8-5, that of London being 60, and of England and Wales 69. The rate for Gillingham for the previous year was 61. Different factors may be held to account for the fall which has now continued over a series of years, but the work carried out at Child Welfare Centres and by Health Visitors in the homes of the people in educating mothers, especially young mothers, in the hygiene of pregnancy and in methods of infant feeding must have gone far to bring about the present low rate of mortality. ILLEGITIMATE DEATHS. The number was two, giving an infantile mortality rate amongst illegitimate infants of 83.2 per 1,000 illegitimate births registered, compared with 43.4 per 1,000 legitimate births. The following table shows the infantile mortality rate, the number of infant deaths, and the number of deaths under four weeks during 1922 and 1923 :—■ Y ear. No. of births. Infantile mortality rate. Infant deaths. Total No. of deaths under 4 weeks. IQ22 I 109 6l 70 — 1923 IO72 . 43.5 52 26 It is important to note that 26 of the 52 deaths (50 per cent.) occurred before the infants reached four weeks of age, and of these, 19 (36.5 per cent.) occurred during the first week of life. It is therefore obvious that preventive measures must be brought into action before birth. Hence the reason for the establishment of ante-natal clinics.