IV 



Ohitumy Notices of Fellows deceased. 



that outbreaks of lead-poisoning from drinking-water in this country are now 

 practically unknown. 



Eeference must also be made to an aspect of Power's prescience in public 

 health work which would appear hitherto to have been in large measure 

 overlooked. As a matter of fact he was a pioneer in the investigation of 

 the causes and possible prevention of infantile mortality, a subject which has 

 bulked so prominently before the public of late years, and in reference to 

 which, at the time of writing, further legislation is being sought from 

 Parliament at the instance of the President of the Local Government Board. 



Early in his official career, he was associated with the late Dr. Ballard in 

 the investigation of mortality from diarrhoea among infants and yoimg 

 children ; while in 1876 he was himself entrusted with inquiry into excep- 

 tionally fatal prevalence of this disease at Winchester. Here he found that, 

 as in previous outbreaks, the majority of the eases came under observation 

 in the third quarter of the year, while the incidence and mortality was almost 

 entirely. confined to children under five years of age. In view of the fact 

 that, in other towns, excessive mortality from diarrhoea had been " found 

 coincident with tainting of the atmosphere with the products of organic 

 decomposition, especially of human excrement," detailed inquiry was made 

 at Winchester as to the possible influences of similar conditions, while 

 various social circumstances of the population (including the care and feeding 

 of iafants) were brought under review. As the result of his investigations 

 Power was greatly impressed with the general helplessness and want of 

 knowledge often exhibited in the upbringing of infants ; and the need, with 

 a view to safeguarding their elementary right to a chance of survival, for 

 intelligent guidance and guardianship on the part of the State. 



As the outcome of further study of the subject he realised the necessity for 

 obtaining more accurate classification of the ages at which death occurred in 

 the case of infants failing to survive for three months after birth, and with 

 this object in view, shortly after being appointed Medical Officer to the Local 

 Government Board, he took steps to procure periodical special returns of 

 infant mortality from Medical Officers of Health throughout England and 

 Wales. 



Recognising also the need for detailed information as to the causes from which 

 young infants perished, as well as their precise ages at death, it was mainly 

 at his instigation that in the Eegistrar-General's Eeport for 1905 infantile 

 deaths for the first time were classified as supervening at the following ages : — 

 Under 1 week old, aged 1-2 weeks, 2-3 weeks, 3-4 weeks, 1-2 months, 2-3 

 months, and so on, up to 11-12 months. 



Power had previously placed on record the disconcerting fact that, despite 

 the application of science to the problems affecting public health, the 

 amendment of the law with the object of furthering improved sanitary 

 administration on the part of local authorities, and securing more adequate 

 control of defaulting local authorities on the part of the Central Administra- 

 tion, the death-rate from " all causes " of children under one year old had, on 



