Health Despite War

Sir William Wilson Jameson, Chief Medical Officer of the British Ministry of Health, told Britons last week that four months of Blitzkrieg conditions had resulted only in an "infinitesimal" increase in disease. Scarlet fever and diphtheria had actually decreased and the number of pneumonia cases had grown but a trifle. The notable disease increase was in cerebrospinal meningitis, with 12,500 cases in 1940 as against 1,500 in 1939.

One reason why original fears that sardined existence in shelters would lead to serious epidemics have not materialized is that few Britons use shelters. Even in London less than 8% of the people take refuge in public shelters, not more than 21% use private and commercial shelters.

Other health items:

> Children evacuated from the slums of London are healthier under war conditions than they ever were before.

> Mental illnesses of all kinds have greatly decreased, and hospitals which formerly dealt with neurotic cases have now opened their wards to Blitz casualties. London divorce cases have also dropped about 50% because, according to a prominent lawyer, "People are ashamed to dwell on their own emotional troubles in war."

> A U. S. Vitamins for Britain committee worked on plans to send 1,000,000 vitamin tablets sweetened and flavored with cinnamon to British children each month. Price of enough vitamins to supply a child for one year: $8.55.

> Britain faces her greatest danger of epidemics during the next three months.

> Subway shelters are becoming infested with a new pest: the dainty, bloodthirsty European mosquito called Culex molestus, from the cesspools of Southern Europe.

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