64 AMAND ROUTH, M.D., F.R.C.P., ON MOTHERHOOD. 



the Report of the National Birth-Rate Commission in 1920,* 

 there was a fall of 80 per cent, in the convictions for drunkenness 

 in 1918 as compared with 1913, and coincidently deaths of infants 

 from suffocation fell from 1266 in 1913 to 557 in 1918, a decrease 

 of 56 per cent., and the excessive incidence of such deaths on 

 Saturday nights which is prominent in 1913 had practically 

 disappeared in 1918. 



Deaths of Infants feom Suffocation — Percentage Distri- 

 bution OF Cases over the Several Nights of the Week 



IN 1913 AND 1918. 





Sun- 



Mon- 



Tues- 



Wednes- 



Thurs- 



Fri- 



Satur- 





day. 



day. 



day. 



day. 



day. 



day. 



da}^ 



1913 ... 



14-1 



12-8 



10-1 



12-1 



10-7 



13-6 



26-3 



1918 ... 



14-3 



10-4 



131 



15-6 



13-8 



15-6 



17-0 



Convictions of Women for Drunkenness and Death of 

 Infants under One Year from Suffocation, 1913- 

 1918. England and Wales. 





1913. 



1914. 



1915. 



1916. 



1917. 



1918. 



1919. 



1920. 



Convictions for 

 drunkenness 



35,765 



37,311 



33,211 



21,245 



12,307 



7121 



10,875 



12,737 



(44 

 weeks) 



Deaths of 

 Infants from 

 suffocation 



1226 



1233 



1021 



744 



704 



557 







Such improvement will not continue if the women of our 

 country have not learned the value of control over themselves, 

 for convictions for drunkenness in women increased to 10,875 

 in 1919, and to 12,737 in the first forty-four weeks of 1920. 



From every point of view, alcohol, during both expectant 

 and actual motherhood should be avoided, for, apart from 



* Problems of Population and Parenthood, pp. 292-3. London : 

 Chapman & Hall, 1920. 



