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32
The past year has been a favourable one from a climatic
point of view, and the deaths from summer diarrhoea being
few, there was no abnormal cause, so to speak, to disturb
the working of the efforts made to keep this rate low. As
usual, Miss Radford has been untiring in her efforts
to guard the lives of these children under one year of age,
and that her endeavours have been successful, this low rate
bears eloquent testimony. From Table IV. it will be seen
that Premature Births are responsible for 26 deaths, and
looking at the number from other causes, it will be evident
that further reduction in the infant mortality will necessitate
dealing in some way with this cause. How this is to
be done is at present very difficult to say, as it will necessitate
dealing with the mother before the birth of the child, and
that presents insuperable difficulties under existing conditions.
Whooping Cough was responsible for 12 deaths, which
should be avoidable with more care on the part of the
parents in preventing the spread of infection to these babies;
but in small houses with numerous children it is difficult of
realisation.