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9
There is an increase of 9 in the number of deaths from
Prematurity-18, compared with 9 in 1936. The health visitors
have frequently commented upon the fact that premature births and
stillbirths come on waves and this periodicity suggests that other
than natural causes are in operation. Last year 10 out of the 18
deaths from premature births occurred in the second quarter of
the year, and it is significant that 12 out of 28, the total number
of stillbirths also occurred in the second quarter. The causes of
pa-maturity are not clear; various factors have been assigned as
the cause of premature birth, such, as lack of Vitamin E, Syphilis,
etc., but these would operate fairly uniformly throughout the year.
To put it bluntly, these periodical increases suggest abnormal
activity of the abortionist, and though we have no evidence of such
in increasing practice the suspicion lurks that a sudden increase
in prematurity and stillbirths is due to the practice.
Although this is one death less from Diarrhoea last year than
in 1936, 11 deaths from this cause in a year when conditions are
favourable is too high. In a hot and dry summer we expect even
now a slight increase in the deaths from Diarrhoea, but last summer
was cool and comparatively wet, and the deaths of 11 children from
Diarrhoea is a disappointment. The vast improvement in the
conditions under which milk is produced and distributed, and the
instruction given at the clinics and in the home by the health
visitors have brought about an improvement, but full advantage is
not taken of the improved conditions, and of the skilled instruction
at the disposal of the mothers. In some instances, the home
conditions are unfavourable, but in the majority of cases of diarrhoea
the most prominent factor in its causation has been either ignorance
or apathy or failure to reap the benefit of the facilities at the
mother's disposal.
Toddlers.
There were 10 deaths in children between the ages of 1 and
2 years and 3 between the ages of 2 and 5 years. Of the total deaths
between the ages of 1 and 5 years, 8 were due to diseases of an
infectious character—2 each from Whooping Cough, Measles,
Cerebro-Spinal Fever and Diphtheria. Although all are infectious
in their character, caused either by a germ or a virus, the methods
of prevention differ greatly. It is only in the case of Diphtheria
that we have found a method which is efficient and is reasonably
certain to protect the infant from the disease. The others are apt
to occur in epidemics and our methods of prevention so far have
had to be based upon general measures, and specific measures are
not successful to prevent the occurrence and to stem the ravages
of these diseases. In recent years the mortality amongst the toddlers