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Teeth" (two), "Milk" (three), "Electricity and Health,"
"Maternity and Child Welfare."
In each case the teaching has been expressed in the simplest
possible language, so that it can be readily understood even by a
child, and the use of technical terms has been avoided wherever
possible. In addition to the pamphlets, we now have ten bookmarks
in use which are distributed mainly through the libraries by
the kind co-operation of Mr. Stewart, Chief Librarian. The
electric sign is in regular use and we now show seven series of
pictures dealing with the following subjects: —
"Tuberculosis," "Milk," "Maternity and Child Welfare,"
"Electricity," "Flies," "Functions of the Skin," "Health and
Habits." The sign is moved at regular intervals to fresh sites."
VI.- MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The Infantile Mortality per thousand births is 67. This is
an increase of 7 on the year 1926. I cannot say that I look upon
this as a serious increase, because infantile mortality is bound to
fluctuate each year, and provided it shows a general tendency to
decrease, it is the most that one can expect. In all vital statistics,
whether concerning the incidence or mortality from infectious or
other diseases, the rate of decrease always gets less as the incidence
or mortality becomes low. This applies especially to infectious
diseases.
We are often told that we ought to be able to get rid of
disease like tuberculosis, for instance, and when the mortality
figures for this disease have been very high and then show a steady
drop, it will generally be found that as the figures get lower the
rate of decrease also becomes much slower, until one arrives at a
certain low level when it seems almost impossible to get rid of the
residue. This seems to be a law which applies to practically all
vital statistics, and in applying it to infantile mortality it would
be fairly safe to prophesy that a decrease below the figure of 60,
if it occur at all, will only be very gradual and with occasional
set-backs.
The re-organization of the various sub-departments of the
Public Health Department was completed during the present
year with the exception of the Maternity and Child Welfare