Show Daily bally Health Service Serice c Infectious Diseases Chief Peril Jor for Preschool Chile Child Editors Editor's Note This is the first of three articles on the health of the preschool pre pre- school chool child by Dr Fishbein The second will win be printed tomorrow By DR MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Med Mcd- ical Association and of the Health The health organization of the league eague of nations recently appointed a o committee to consider particularly the he health problems of mothers and children A portion of the report Is concerned with the health of the preschool child the child the child chUd from one oneto to six years of at age During the second and third years of age ge the reactions of ot the child are arc in many ways similar to those of an infant During Durin the U third rd fourth fifth and sixth years of age it begins to resemble more closely the school chool child This group of children ha has not yet begun to receive the type of systematic system and organized attention given to children of more advanced years Several diseases which attack chit chil dren of this his age have not been brought under scientific medical control Moreover statistics as to their mortality mor mortality mortality mor mor- and the illness they cause are not yet quite reliable However enough evidence is available available avail avail- able to indicate that the youngest children children chil chil- dren ore are in the greatest need of supervision supervision su suo and care The greatest number of deaths among children among children from one to six years of ot age is due to Infectious and con- con diseases Then come condi condl affecting the lungs and nose nOle ant throat tuberculosis accidents accidents- stainach stomach stain stomach ach and nd intestinal diseases and final finally ly other diseases The infectious diseases which con cone to be m most st serious are therin thenia scarlet fever measles an and whooping cough In tropical al countries and in r region in which peculiar social conditions ex cx- bt 1st such conditions as dysentery malana ma ma- lana laria and smallpox may also be in-i.- in It Is Interesting to know that thai the four diseases diphtheria scarlet fever measles and ad whooping cough may constitute the responsibility y for more moro than one fourth of all of th the d deaths of children between one and six six years of age In large cities the percentage of ot deaths due to these causes cames may be even greater The younger the child the greater the danger from any of these diseases when wh-en it is contracted Thus it is especially cape espe dully dally im Important to guard the younger children until they shall have reached the age when greater resistance has- has developed Diphtheria Is Js beginning to be overcome overcome overcome over over- come through the application of the the- Schick test and through the use of of- toxin-antitoxin toxin and diphtheria However the need for tor vigilance is is- constant Thus far tar no definitely ly established means of prevention are available against measles and whooping cough Hence children must be guarded particularly par par- pare against contact with cases of these two diseases |