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The infantile mortality rate I am happy to be able to
report, has been much reduced of late years, only 10 children
under one year old having died.
This mortality rate works out at practically 87 per
thousand. Former reports have been as high as 206 2 per
thousand.
I attribute this improvement to the higher training of the
midwives and to their proper supervision and to the
care exercised by the Health Visitors, who, besides giving
advice as to the proper treatment of the infants to the
mothers, (who sadly need it,) bring any ailment or
failure of progress to the notice of the Medical attendants at
an early date.
I should like to see this death rate still further reduced,
but I must point out that it is considerably lower than that of
London, 107, of the great towns, 106, or of the smaller towns,
94. I think the Council can congratulate itself on this
improvement.
2. Infectious Disease.
The total number of cases of infectious disease notified
during the year was 11, of these 6 were erysipelas, 3
diphtheria, and 2 scarlet fever. There were also 19 centres of
measle infection notified. Only one case, (of measles) was fatal.
Two of the diphtheria cases and both of the scarlet fever
cases were removed to the Isolation Hospital.
In common with the rest of the country, your district
suffered from a severe epidemic of influenza, complicated in a
large number of cases with pneumonia.
This epidemic caused the deaths of 8 male and 14 female
patients, 22 in all.
The Local Government Board have ordered that for the
future all cases of influenzal pneumonia shall be notifiable.