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16
said to have been natural or non-preventable, and I have only takeri
into account the deaths of infants of residents. Of the 67 deaths, 51,
or over 73 per cent, were stated to have been caused by "Enteritis"
in one form or another. In an exceptional number of instances the
cause of death was certified as simply diarrhoea. Enteritis and Diarrhœa
mean much the same thing, disease of the digestive system, and the
cause of it is in the majority of cases some error in feeding. I do not
wish to assume for a moment that all cases of diarrhoea in young infants
are either due to this cause, or that fatal cases of the disease may not
occur in the most carefully and scientifically fed children, but I think
no doctor would contradict the statement that a very large proportion
of such fatal cases of diarrhoea in infants are due to bad feeding, dirty
conditions, and the ignorance of the mothers. Insanitary houses are also
an important factor, but in this district such houses are not very
commonly met with. The number of cases of enteritis among young
children and infants is always above the average in the late summer
and autumn, but I believe it to be in the majority of instances a
preventable disease.
The 51 deaths from Enteritis were registered during the three months
of July, August and September, but a larger number occurred in August
than in either of the other two months. Whether or not this fact has any
connection with the closing of the Schools for the vacation, I am not
in a position to say, but it is one worth considering. In many families
the girl who is attending school is at the same time acting as nurse to the
baby at home out of school hours, and during the holidays the entire care
of the infant may be entrusted to her, and if the ignorance of a mother
as to the proper diet for a young baby is great, that of a girl of 12 or
13 is still greater. It seems not unreasonable to believe that some
definite system of training the elder girls in the schools in hygiene
generally and the care, management and feeding of babies in particular
might have a material bearing in the future on the health of the infant
population and the reduction of the number of deaths amongst them.
I have before this called the attention of the Council to the infant
mortality rate, I most earnestly do so again, for it is a grave and
serious blot on the sanitary condition of the district."
As a result of this report, the Council appointed a sub-committee to
consider the whole question of infantile mortality in the district, and a
special report is being prepared by the instruction of this sub-committee.