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10
and Pneumonia in children under 5 years of age, and Tubercular
Diseases.
In all of these social as well as sanitary conditions played a
part. We know that in Consumption the immediate cause was
exposure to infection by the Tubercle Bacillus, but in addition
there was a predisposing cause in the shape of Heredity, Poverty,
Intemperance, &c.
Defective sanitary conditions were not the only factors in the
high death-rate amongst children from the other diseases mentioned.
Some of the deaths from diseases of the lungs were due to the exposure
which some of the children have to undergo. The mothers
go out to work and place their young children under the charge of
persons who undertake this duty. On some days of the week the
children are not taken home before 9 p.m. The conditions under
which some of these children are cared for leave much to be desired.
The rooms are badly ventilated, and the vitiated atmosphere
undoubtedly tends to lower the resistance of the children to respiratory
diseases.
Age-Constitution.
The ages at death were as follows:—
Under 1 year. 1—5. 5—15. 15—25. 25—65. over 65.
200 94 38 28 217 160
Compared with 1906, the increased number of deaths is uniformly
distributed over all the age-periods with the exception of
that under 1 year of age.
ZYMOTIC DISEASES.
Deaths, 70. Death-rate, 1.3.
The so-called Zymotic death-rate includes deaths from seven
Zymotic diseases, namely, Small-pox, Measles, Whooping Cough,
Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Fever and Diarrhoea.