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7
diarrhoea and enteritis claim 300, tubercular diseases 56, lung
diseases 150, debility and wasting 134, infectious diseases 84,
accidents and violence 36, a total of 760 or three-fourths of the whole
for the year. My reason for thus particularising is to draw attention
to the fact that many of these diseases are preventible. Amongst
the deaths under the head of accident and violence were 19 from
overlaying. These clearly were preventible, and many deaths from
summer diarrhoea and wasting are due to improper feeding. Many
deaths from infectious disease, especially measles and whooping
cough, would be prevented if parents realised the gravity of these
diseases, and understood the value of isolation in preventing their
spread, and the danger of a fatal issue from complications by exposure
and want of proper treatment. In addition, many deaths of
infants are no doubt due to lung disease, induced by improper clothing
and exposure to cold. These facts were brought to the notice of
the Public Health Committee, and, as a consequence, I was instructed
to draw up a memorandum on the feeding and care of infants for
public distribution. This I did, and have arranged (by the consent of
the Superintendent Registrar of Births) with the District Registrars,
to give a copy of the memorandum with each birth certificate issued.
A copy of the memorandum will be found in the appendix.