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48
Another factor which possibly has been operative in the
reduction of measles mortality is the improved health of children
under 5 years of age, and the natural resistance which these children
offer to disease. In the section dealing with Infantile mortality,
it is shown that in the mortality in the age periods 1-2 years and
2.5 years, there has been as great, if not a greater reduction than
in the period under twelve months. When a reduced infantile
Mortality is effected, an improvement occurs in the conditions
under which the babies live, and this improvement continues
in to the succeeding years.
Encephalitis Lethargica
There were two notifications, and no death occurred from
the disease, but one of these r otifications was received in December.
in the other case, it was notified in the summer, ard on enquiry
at the end of the year, she was apparently well and rot suffering
from any sequelae of the disease. It is too early to express any
opinion as to the result in the case of, at any rate, one of these
cases, but Encephalitis Lethargica, besides being an acute disease
attended in its early stages and even later by considerable danger
to life, is in the larger proportion of cases followed by a long period
convalescence which is not a mere debility, but has peculiar
features which may be regarded as constituting a chronic stage
of the disease. These features are usually termed " residua,"
and upon the particular residua present in any case and their
severity, depends the possibility of the patient's restoration in
agreater or less time to the normal condition of health.
. Since the disease was made compulsory notifiable in 1919,
14 cases have been notified in this district. One of these was
Probably a case of mistaken diagnosis, and has left the district.;
Exeluding also the 2 notified last year, there would be 11 cases;
8 are dead, and only one can be said not to exhibit any sequelae.
two of those who have survived are totally unable to follow their
normal occupation.
Tuberculosis.
There were 47 deaths from Pulmonary Tuberculosis, or
Consumption, or Phthisis, and 10 deaths from other tubercular
diseases. The number of deaths from Pulmonary Tuberculosis isthe
the same as that of 1924. Since the end of the War, the deathrate
from Tuberculosis is steadily though slowly becoming lower.