═══════════════════════════════╤═══════╤═══════════════════════════════ CAUSE OF DEATH. │ All │ QUARTER OF CALENDAR YEAR IN │deaths.│ WHICH DEATH OCCURRED. ───────────────────────────────┼───────┼───────┬───────┬───────┬─────── │ │First. │Second.│Third. │Fourth. ───────────────────────────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┼───────┼─────── All causes │ 196│ 54│ 29│ 74│ 39 ═══════════════════════════════╪═══════╪═══════╪═══════╪═══════╪═══════ Diarrhea and enteritis │ 52│ 3│ 5│ 32│ 12 Respiratory diseases │ 50│ 24│ 8│ 7│ 11 Premature births │ 24│ 7│ 5│ 9│ 3 Congenital debility or │ 19│ 5│ 2│ 8│ 4 malformation │ │ │ │ │ Injuries at birth │ 7│ 5│ 1│ │ 1 Other causes or not reported │ 44│ 10│ 8│ 18│ 8 ───────────────────────────────┴───────┴───────┴───────┴───────┴─────── Our figures are too small to admit of broad generalizations or a very full discussion of infant deaths according to the period of the year. This excess of infant deaths from diarrhea in the summer months has been established by statistics in many countries, and the cause of such an excess has been the subject of much discussion, but as yet there is no general agreement. Liefmann and Lindemann[24] conclude, however, that in this field of controversy there are certain facts which are at present well established, these being the dependence of the high summer mortality on methods of feeding, on hot weather, and on the living and social condition of the parents. The last factor mentioned by these authors, including as it does housing conditions, economic status, and degree of intelligence, is becoming more and more the subject of study and investigation. It has been shown that the distinctly harmful effect of hot weather on the infant is increased when the housing conditions are bad; in overcrowded homes with bad ventilation the indoor temperature may be many degrees higher than the outdoor temperature. The ignorance and carelessness of mothers has also been shown to increase the bad effect of hot weather. With hygienic care, including cool baths, much fresh air, and careful feeding, many infants are able to pass through extremely hot weather without diarrheal disturbances. Footnote 24: Liefmann, H., and Lindemann, H., Die Lokalization der Sauglingsterblichkeit und ihre Beziehungen zur Wohnungsfrage. Med. Klinik 1912, pp. 8, 1074. Respiratory diseases were reported as a cause of death with almost as great frequency as diarrheal diseases. As shown by Table 19, these deaths occurred principally in the colder months of the first and fourth quarters of the calendar year.