The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1908, INTERESTING COMPARISONS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 92, 18 April 1908, Page 4

The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1908, INTERESTING COMPARISONS.

The Registrar-General is issuing a series of leaflets dealing with the infantile -mortality, of the Dominion. This is a subject to which special attention has been directed during the past few years. It has long been recognised that many lives are yearly sacrificed simply through a want of knowledge upon the part of either youthful parents, ignorant fostermothers, or incompetent nurses, as to the treatment required by infants. Much of the mortality has been due to improper feeding, little ones practically dying of starvation, though well supplied with food, but that being of a character which they are unable to assimilate. , Much is being done to counteract this unfortunate ignorance upon so vital a subject, and latterly Lady Plunket has organised a band of nurses, called after herself, who are to be specially trained to care for helpless little, ones, so that, instead of dying off as they have been doing, they shall have every chance of growing into useful men and women. The movement is a most commendable one, and should have the hearty sympathy and practical support of • the whole community. The second leaflet from the office of the Registrar-General upon this subject is chiefly a comparison showing the proportion of deaths of infants undergone year of age to every 1000 births in New Zealand, and also in England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, New South Wales,' Vicitona and Queensland. The figures in each case have been taken out for a period of fifteen years. It is gratifying to note that the New Zealand mortality, large as we have been accustomed to regard it, is the lowest of any of the countries named, and has been consistently so during the whole fifteen-year period. Not only so, but it is gradually falling, the mortality m 1906 being 62 per 1000 births, as against bj in 1892. In 1906 the figures for England, and Wales were 132, Scotland 116, Ireland 93, Victoria 93, and Queensland 75. Another comparison entered into is between New Zealand and other countries, and here again New Zealand shows the lightest mortality'of all, the average for 10 years being 79 per 1000 births, the next lowest being Norway with 90, Tasmania 94, and Sweden 98. The highest average is Chili, with 326, Pc J n£ n appalling loss of infant ™- The Australian States (other than Tasmania, given above) show the following averages for the same South Wales 108, Victoria 105, South Australia 102, and Queensland 101. me chief causes of deaths of infants under one year of age in New Zealand are given for the year 1906. These To on rwm Premature birth, being 13.90 per 1000 births; marasmus, atrophy, debility, 267 (11.01);' gastritis, enteritis 191 (7.88), and convulsions 901(8.71). From this it will be seen that marasmus, atrophy, and dec&: lar 2elv account for the deaths or those not prematurely born. These are wasting diseases, literally starvation and to stop this unnecessary waste 181 the task that Lady Plunket and her aids have set themselves. That they raaybe successful is the earnest hope or all who have given any attention whatever to the subject.