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23
A comparison of the causes of infantile mortality in
1910 with those in the preceding year shews an increase
in premature births and respiratory diseases. The
mortality from diarrhceal diseases has diminished from
20 per cent, of the total infantile deaths to about 13
per cent. The deaths from respiratory diseases number
102,19.7 per cent, of the whole number. The influence
of meteorological conditions is an important factor in
the causation of deaths from these two last named
diseases, for whilst wet, cool weather, such as was
prevalent last summer, checks the distribution of germladen
dust—a potent cause of diarrhoea—these conditions
do not favour recovery from Bronchitis and
Pneumonia.
INFANTILE TUBERCULAR DISEASE.
Various forms of tuberculosis caused nineteen deaths,
a mortality of 4.5 per thousand births. Nine of these
deaths were from Tabes Mesenterica, and nine from
Tubercular Meningitis.
SUFFOCATION.
The deaths from suffocation (overlaying) numbered
26, nine fewer than those of the previous year.
If a child be prematurely born, injured at birth, or so
deformed or undeveloped as to be incapable of prolonged
existence, it usually dies within a week of its birth.
Seventy-six out of the 87 deaths in this first week were
due to the causes I have named; five other infants
were suffocated in bed, and two died from convulsions.