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92
Of the diseases already touched on, it will be
seen that there were last year reduced mortalities
from those which may be called controllable, with
the exception of diarrhœa, and increased mortalities
from those which appear to be, at present, beyond
the influence of sanitation. There remain yet
certain diseases with excessive mortalities during
the past year, over which a very considerable control
can be exercised. The loss of life through these
diseases represents the price paid for ignorance and
the neglect of the laws of hygiene.
The death-rate last year from "Diarrhœa" and
"Enteritis" was 38.6 per 1,000 births, compared
with an average of 9.6, the deaths last year constituting
23.4 per cent. of the deaths under one year,
compared with an average of 13.7. There is little
doubt that some proportion of the deaths from
"Dentition" and "Want of Breast Milk," was due
to the causes which gave rise to the high death-rate
from diarrhœa and enteritis. As has already been
stated, diarrhœa is but a symptom of a diseased
condition, but for brevity's sake that term will be
used, in considering the causes of those diseases, to
include the various diseases giving rise to the
symptom. It will be impossible on this occasion to
do more than indicate those causes, without endeavouring
to assign to each cause its proper share
of the mortality. The origins of the diseases will
be considered under three heads, viz., (a) insanitary