TOLL OF SICKNESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 492, 23 October 1928, Page 9

TOLL OF SICKNESS

HEAVY ECONOMIC LOSS FIGURES FOR BRITAIN (United Service) LONDON, Sunday. Sir George Newman, chief medical officer of health, states that, counting only sickness in respect of which unemployment insurance is payable, the sickness in England and Wales in 1927 caused a loss of thirty million weeks’ work for 590,000 p ersons. This is equivalent to an entire year. In 1927 also there was an increase of 30,000 deaths compared with 1926. They were principally due to influenza and to diseases of the heart and lungs. However, Sir George thinks science is steadily gaining the knowledge necessary to combat these diseases. The official strongly urges an increased consumption of milk. The average consumption is now less thas half a pint a day. He says a campaign should be carried on until the average consumed is one pint a day. The death-rate among infants and among mothers at childbirth shows no improvement in 30 years. The only effective remedy, says Sir George, is ante-natal supervision, with State aid.