Infant Mortality

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. During the last five years my work in Fins-bury has necessitated a careful study of the problem of infant mortality. This book is part of the outcome. It is an attempt to state in a plain way the chief facts concerning a question which I is not without national importance.<br><br>The young of all animals are more susceptible than the adult to the influence of environment and the approach of death. Hence, it is inevitable that, even under the most favourable circumstances, the deaths of infants will furnish a large contribution to the bills of mortality. As civilisation advances, however, this should become less. That it does not, in fact, become substantially less is surely a matter calling for consideration, for at the present time there is an annual loss to England and Wales of 120,000 lives by the death of infants. In past years there has been a similar drain upon the national resources of life. But it should not be forgotten that a rapidly declining birth-rate means that this loss of life is now operating in conjunction with a diminished income.<br><br>Nor is this all.