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16
hot summer usually accounted for a large number of deaths from
Summer Diarrhoea.
It has always been assumed that Summer Diarrhoea is an
infectious disease spread through germs carried on dust.
It is obvious that hot weather and lack of rainfall must mean
increase of dust.
This factor, however, seems to have been overcome, for despite
the fact that the last two summers have not only enjoyed hot spells,
but, in addition, have been marked by lack of rainfall, the infantile
mortality rate has dropped.
One would like to feel that the Maternity and Child Welfare
services which the Council provide have contributed towards this
drop in the infantile mortality rate.
The low figure recorded is doubly important, for it may be
assumed that with a low infantile mortality rate there has been a
low sickness rate, and not only has much grief been prevented, but,
in addition, a considerable amount of suffering avoided.