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to later in the Report. There were no deaths
from puerperal sepsis, indeed, no deaths took place
during childbirth. In point of fact, during the
past 10 years no deaths took place during childbirth.
This is a highly satisfactory situation, due to a
variety of causes, better midwifery, better ante-natal
care, and the almost incredible advances made in the
use of antibiotics.
The number of infectious diseases notified
during 1961 was considerably in advance of those
notified during the previous year, 489 as against 120.
This was more than due to the fact that 1961 was a
"measles year", 453 cases of measles being reported,
as against 18 in 1960. The infectious sickness rate
for the year was, for this reason, 17.2 as compared with
4.18 during 1960. Since the increase in measles
notifications accounted for more than the total increase!
these figures have little significance in themselves.
More important, much more important, is the fact that
the type of infectious disease met with during 1961,
indeed since the war, is very much milder on the whole
than previously. It is also worthy of note that no
cases of poliomyelitis were notified during the year,
the last case of this particular disease occurring in
1957. The infectious diseases picture will be more
fully discussed in the portion of the Annual Report which
deals with the prevalence and control of infectious
diseases. I will therefore make no further comments
at this stage.
Year by year, I have stressed the importance
of housing as it affects the entire pattern of Public
Health; or, to use what is perhaps a better expression
in this context, the pattern of preventive medicine.
I have often felt that, more than ever as the years go
by, pure public health and housing are inseparable.
Those authorities which have a "Health and Housing
Committee", where matters appertaining to housing as a
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