A matter of privilege: infant mortality in the Garrison Town of Gibraltar, 1870-1899.
The British colony of Gibraltar offers an opportunity to compare the infant mortality rates of the civilian and military populations inhabiting a small-scale urban setting from 1870 to 1899. Both groups shared the same poor-quality housing, the same sanitary infrastructure, and the same environmental inseparability. Sufficient water supply, in particular, proved to be a daily struggle for the families living on the Rock. Privilege for the military meant that service families had preferential access to a pure water supply after the installation of a water-condensing plant as well as to a better quality supply of water and milk. The availability of these privileges to one group, and not the other, is associated with a marked decline in infant mortality in the second half of the study period.
Sawchuk
Lawrence A
LA
University of Toronto, Scarborough, Canada.
Burke
Stacie D
SD
Padiak
Janet
J
D005192:Family Health; D005876:Gibraltar / Q000453:epidemiology*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000266:history*; D011634:Public Health / Q000266:history*