View report page

64
The suggestion of a pre-maternity benefit in connection with the
Insurance Act is worthy of most serious consideration. The
poverty of the expectant mother must have a direct influence
on the nutrition of the child, and her mental and physical state
would be much improved by the knowledge that there was some
provision for such contingencies as might arise.
But one of the most serious causes of intrauterine death and
disease is syphilis, and a good deal of the work for the protection
of child life will be nullified unless the problem of the prevention
of this disease is faced. The favoured germs of this disease are
spoken of with bated breath. Large sums of money are spent
and endless measures are proposed for the protection of child life
and the provision of maternity benefit, and yet these venereal
scourges are allowed to go on crippling the mothers, by producing
diseases, not only in those who primarily acquire them,
but in their wives and children, and their children's children.
Our ignorance as to its potency in this direction is paralleled by
our lack of knowledge of the general prevalence of this disease
in this country. It is to be hoped that the Royal Commission
which is at present engaged in the study of venereal diseases
in general will not forget the vast importance of this particular
branch of the subject, and institute an investigation into this
grievous problem of ante-natal mortality. The great advances
which have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of the
disease in recent years enable us to diagnose it in all its stages,
and effectually controt its progress. They give us the power to
limit the disease to its earliest stages, and eventually to abolish,
amongst other curses, congenital syphilis.
The ages at death and the causes of death, together with the
ward distribution, are given in the tables at the end of the report.
The deaths from Diarrhœal diseases require a separate
paragraph on account of an outbreak which occurred in an institution
in the district. These deaths are not included in our returns,
as all the children who died were non-residents.