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8
These ante-natal conditions give rise to many deaths of little
babies during the first few days or weeks of life, and the remedy
is to be found in the extension of our ante-natal work and in
the education of the people. It is unfortunately a common and
wide-spread practice for women to take drugs in order to bring
on abortion; often, however, the drugs fail to do this, and a
living child is born, prematurely perhaps, and poisoned fatally
by the drugs which its mother has taken. That this is a common
cause of infant death is well known to midwives, health visitors
and doctors who are acquainted with maternity work. The
remedy lies partly in the education of the mother; but also in
the prohibition of the sale of such poisonous drugs and the registration
and control of places where they are at present manufactured.
Causes of Death.—A tabulated statement showing the
principal causes of death is given in the Appendix (Table B.).
It is desirable, however, to make a few comments on it here.
There were no deaths from Small-pox.
There was only one death from Scarlet Fever. This disease
as a cause of mortality is negligible to-day, and of a very different
nature to the Scarlet Fever of twenty-five years ago.
There were 4 deaths from Diphtheria. Delay in the adequate
treatment of any disease diminishes the patient's chance of
recovery, but in no disease is delay more deadly than in
Diphtheria.
Diphtheria Anti-toxin is supplied by the Town Council, and
for the convenience of doctors it is kept at the Town Hall, the
Isolation Hospital, the School Clinic and at the two Maternity
Centres.
Measles caused 4 deaths.
Whooping Cough caused one death.
Summer Diarrhœa caused the deaths of only 4 children
during the year. This disease is fly-borne; and, in the absence
of flies, the summer diarrhoea is non-existent.
As usual during the spring and summer the officers of the
Health Department kept a watch upon likely breeding-places for