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1925
33
century. We have to remember, though, that during the last 40
years there has been a reduction, not only in the infantile mortality,
but also in the mortality at all ages. Any study of the changes of
mortality at one period of life is incomplete unless their relation to
changes at other ages is also noted. Infants and adults live side
by side in the same homes, and though some of the conditions
prejudicial or favourable to the health of the one will be found to
have a similar effect on the well-being of the other, yet the infantile
death-rate is a more delicate index of favourable or unfavourable
conditions. This is especially true of deaths from diarrhoeal
diseases.
It is desirable to emphasise this fact, that a glance at the changes
in mortalities at all different ages of life over a long period of years
will show how general in their effect the harmful or beneficial
factors have usually been.

I have taken periods of seven years so as to avoid as far as
possible the period of the war.
It will be noticed that the reduction did not take place until
the beginning of this century, and that simultaneously a reduction
occurred both in the general death-rate and the Infantile mortality.
The reduction in Infantile mortality has been greater than the reduction
which has occurred in the general death-rate, and over and
above the influences which have contributed towards the reduction
of the general death-rate the child welfare movement has undoubtedly
been responsible for the decline in the infant mortality.