THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 249, 18 September 1933, Page 7

THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH.

CHEERING BRITISH SURVEY:

DECREASE IN MORTALITY

(British Official, Wireless.) RUGBY, Sept. 15.

The effect of the prolonged economic depression on public health —a. subject affecting practically the whole civilised world and millions of people—is carefully analysed in its relation to Great Britain by Sir George Newman, Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, in his annual survey of 1932, just published. Sir George Newman points out that tho surest of all tests of grave results aro the mortality returns. Any long, sustained physical pressure of stress of serious degree represents itself ultimately in a rise in mortality. “Here we have a long continuing experience of unemployment gradually becoming more acute, yet the mortality of England and Wales as a whole, and even of many of the depressed areas themselves, has been uniformly decreasing,” the report states. “Nor have we any evidence of increased morbidity.” The mortality rates for England and Wales in 1932 show the same steady and definite decline witnessed since 1921-25. They were, indeed, exceptionally low, namely, 12 per 1000, as was also the infant mortality rate, which continued the decline which began 25 years ago. The number of deaths from disease was the lowest ever recorded in Britain.

Particularly notable was the decline in tuberculosis, which disease is accepted everywhere as affording a valuable indication of the level of nutrition, especially of children. The conclusion readied is that there can be little or no under-nourishment in Britain, but that the population as a whole is better nourished than ever before. Tli© Chief Medical Officer declares that there has been no general excess of sickness, ill-health, or physical incapacity that can be attributed to unemployment. The reason for this consoling state of affairs is that, before the period of economic depression, superior social and medical machinery was already available in Britain for meeting exceptional circumstances. As an instance, Sir George Newman points to the operation of tlie immense scheme of supplementary feeding for nursing mothers, and for children up to the age of 14 years, and mentions that in 1932 there were provided 62,000,000 school meals, while 900,000 other school children received supplementary milk.