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102
Puerperal Fever: 20 cases notified.
Puerperal Pyrexia (from October 1st—December 31st,
1926): 28 cases notified.
Infantile Mortality.
The death rate for 1926 was 62.2 per 1,000, despite the
particularly hot months of September and October, which
contributed to a small increase in the death roll from epidemic
diarrhoea. Each case is investigated by the Health Visitor
with a view to discovering the cause of death.

Congenital debility, malformation and premature birth
rank highest in these causes of death. General disease of the
mother, such as tuberculosis, cardiac trouble, nephritis, pneumonia,
pathological conditions due to pregnancy and parturition,
such as eclampsia, antepartum haemorrhage, obstructed
labour and the taking of ecbolic drugs are factors all
predisposing to premature birth and weakness of the child.
Respiratory diseases, too, exact a heavy toll in our variable
climate, and, while many of the rachitic and otherwise physically
unfit pay the penalty, unfortunately pneumonia has a
predilection for the healthy breast-fed babies. In these
cases good nursing is the chief factor to be considered; too
often the mother is unable to give the skilled care required,
and the removal to hospital of breast-fed babies is not always
desirable.