362 MEDICAL SECTION 



Making allowance for plural births, 94*1 per cent, 

 of the mothers were nursing entirely, 3*3 per cent, 

 partially, and only 2'6 per cent, had ceased to 

 nurse their babies. Ten mothers of twins were 

 nursing both babies entirely and five others partially. 



Two of the women died while under observation. 

 One death was due to placenta praevia, and the other 

 to acute toxaemia of pregnancy. 



If we compare these figures with the general 

 statistics for the Borough of Manhattan, including 

 the most fortunate of the population with the poorest, 

 the results seem to be even more encouraging. The 

 period covered is the same in both cases, so that 

 seasonal conditions had equal influence. 



Borouph of Supervised Percentage 

 Mai rattan cases difference 



Stillbirth-rate 48-1 ... 369 ... 23-3 



Deaths under I month ... 40-6 ... 29^8 ... 26-6 



Such are, in brief, the most obvious results of our 

 work. I realize that in comparing our comparatively 

 small number of cases with the much greater number 

 for the entire borough there is a certain margin of 

 error. The stillbirth-rate for the borough is un- 

 questionably too low, and our figures in this group 

 include every pregnancy which terminated wilh a loss 

 of the product of conception. They are certainly 

 suggestive, to say the least. 



We believe that ignorance is a very important cause 

 of the mortality among very young babies. Such 

 work as has been described can be carried on by any 

 organization doing home visiting work, and of the 

 necessity of the work being done by individual con- 

 tact in the home we are absolutely convinced. 

 Classes will accomplish something, perhaps a good 

 deal, but personal contact will, and does, accomplish 

 far more. 



We believe in what Mr. Alderman Broadbent 



