JOHN S. FIJI/TON, M. D. 



137 



the first year, but, through the third year, is still higher than 

 the maximum for whooping cough. Diminishing to relative in- 

 significance through childhood and youth, these diseases gradu- 

 ally assume importance in middle life, and in old age become 

 again highly important. 



Of the components of the respiratory group, acute bronchitis 

 has apparently the earliest access to infancy. Acute bronchitis 

 appears to be preceded very slightly by influenza, but the re- 

 corded mortality of influenza is very small, 688 deaths in the 

 Registration Area. It is an interesting observation, if true, that 

 post-natal causes of death attack infants by way of the respira- 

 tory tract earlier than by way of the digestive tract. 



Diarrhea and enteritis follow very closely, the mortality begin- 

 ning in the first week and reaching its maximum in the eleventh 

 or twelfth week, nearly a fortnight after the maximum mortality 

 of the resipiratory diseases as indicated by the English experience. 



The meningitis curve crosses both these curves and does not 

 reach its maximum until the fifth month. All three of these 

 curves decline toward age; diarrhoea and enteritis rapidly; 

 meningitis less rapidly; and the respiratory diseases more 

 slowly. Meningitis has no secondary rise in later life. 



