JOHN S. FIJI/TON, M. D. 



143 



tons. Newman says that the diarrhoeal diseases have their 

 heaviest incidence in the second and third quarters of the first 

 year. A quarter of a year is far too coarse an interval for the 

 measurement of this mortality. The Registrar-General's figures 

 for 1907 and 1908 indicate that the mode of infantile diarrhoea 

 falls in the third or fourth month. We must expect this chief 

 agent of infant mortality, when measured by months or weeks, 

 to present toward birth an aspect similar to that presented by 

 measles when measured by single years. The antenatal causes 

 (such as those in Group A) belong to a curve of infinite range, 

 starting perhaps from Clotho's distaff in the starry distance. 

 The antenatal and post-natal curves intersect about a fort- 

 night after the funis is cut; certainly not on or very near the 

 birthday. 



In the following diagram, the several groups of causes, recorded 

 in the Census reports, are shown on a scale of weeks, the measure- 

 ments for this scale being derived from such indications as are 

 furnished by the Registrar-General's Report for England and 

 Wales, and from other numerical statements appearing in this 

 article. Syphilis, whooping cough, measles, diphtheria and scarlet 

 fever are given separately. On the post-natal side, magnitudes 

 and age distributions (except perhaps in the group corresponding 

 to Table II) are seen in reasonable likeness to their true rela- 

 tions. On the antenatal side, the causes recorded as causing 

 death in post-natal time are shown as starting at the date of con- 

 ception, and their modes are located, with no pretense of accu- 

 racy, in antenatal time. 



On a scale of weeks, the remoteness of measles, scarlet fever 

 and diptheria appears very striking, as does their loss of altitude. 

 These altitudes, however, have been somewhat exaggerated; 



