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533
I should like to see some provision made in connection with our
Maternity and Child Welfare Work, for securing some suitable dental
treatment; for it is much needed. Sir George Newman, the Principal
Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, has recently made the
following reference to the subject: "Dental decay is the cause of
much ill-health, impairment and invalidity in childhood and in after
life, and nearly all of it is preventable. School medical and dental inspection
has revealed the fact that more than half the school children
at eight years of age are suffering from caries, and many of them from
oral sepsis. In adolescents and adults, this evil continues, producing
many terminal conditions—gastro-intestinal trouble, toxemia, joint
affections, neurasthenia—which incapacitate workers to a serious
degree."
At the higher ages it is noteworthy that the deaths of persons
of over 65 years of age amounted to approximately 47% of the total
deaths at all ages.
THE MORTUARY.
During the year, 44 bodies were deposited in the Public
Mortuary. Post-mortem examinations were performed upon 27
of these.
INQUESTS.
44 Inquests were held upon Deaths of Parishioners during the
year 1924.
PREVALENCE OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.
It will be seen from Table IV. that 298 Notification Certificates
of Infectious Illness were received from medical practitioners. This
represents an increase as compared with the preceding year, when
the figure was 252.