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A comparison of mortality and morbidity pattern of hospital admissions of children under 14 years during 1966-68 and 1977-81 has been made. Annual admission rate has increased from 1515 to 2515, which is in proportion to the population increase of 3 lacs from 1966 to 1981. Recently more than 70% were discharged within a week as against 52% during 1966-68, indicating a faster turnover and a need for more beds. Protein energy malnutrition, infections and diarrhoea with dehydration were main killers. The pattern of mortality and morbidity has not much changed from 1966 to 81 but mortality rates at all ages have considerably declined in recent years (neonatal, post neonatal, preschool and school). Measures to decline it further have been discussed. The data should be of interest to those engaged in planning health strategies and to teachers in defining priorities in Medical education.A comparison of mortality and morbidity patterns of hospital admissions for children under age 14 between 1966-68 and 1977-81 has been made. Annual admission rate has increased from 1515 to 2515, which is in proportion to the population increase of 3 lacs from 1966-81. Recently, more than 70% were discharged within 1 week as compared to 51% during 1966-68, indicating a faster turnover and a need for more beds. Protein energy malnutrition, infections, and diarrhea with dehydration were the main causes of death. The pattern of mortality and morbidity has not changed much from 1966-81, but mortality rates at all ages have declined considerably in recent years (neonatal, postneonatal, preschool and school-age). Measures to decrease it even further have been discusses. the data should be of interest to those engaged in planning health strategies and to teachers in order to help define priorities in medical education.

1. Serum electrolyte estimations were performed in twenty-two severely malnourished, oedematous children belonging to the two clinical entities, nutritional oedema and kwashiorkor. 2. Similar investigations were carried out in twenty normal healthy children in order to standardise the technical procedures. 3. Majority of the cases revealed low normal to normal values of sodium and chloride (63 and 72 per cent respectively), normal to high normal values of alkali reserve) fifty per cent (and hypokalaemia) sixty-three per cent). 4. Serum ionogram was repeated in eleven children at the end of an average period of three weeks during which the subjects were placed on routine dietetic and high protein therapy. These ionograms showed a distinct tendency towards reversion to normal. 5. The significance of these observations is discussed.

Summary Aware of the importance of a knowledge of children and skill in their care, the World Health Organization and the Government of India have been working together to improve the training and education of the medical student in that subject. To that end the Organization has supported the work of a committee of medical educators, which has studied the teaching of child health and has published an experimental curriculum suitable for use in medical colleges in India (‘Ad hoc’ Committee on Education and Training in Paediatrics; WHO, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975). This article tells of the experience with that curriculum in one medical college in Central India since 1974. It is first necessary to indicate the position of medical education in the country.

A case of congenital tuberculosis with primary complex in the liver, localised lymphadenitis and tubercular abscess in the neck, delivered to a mother who had tubercular meningitis is discussed.

A random sample of 400 families (200 urban and 200 rural) where either parent had undergone permanent sterilisation (vasectomy or tubectomy) were studied. Male sterilisations were higher than female sterilisations. Economic status of families studied did not show any significant relation to type of operation preferred. Maternal literacy was directly related to the preponderance of tubectomies in urban areas. The latter were also found to be significantly higher in the Jain community where joint families were the rule. Majority of the mothers got married and conceived before 20 years of age. Average duration of active reproductive life prior to sterilisation was 18·6 years (rural) and 11·5 years (urban). The average number of conceptions and living children produced during this period were 5·99±0.·51 (S.E.) and 4·75 ±0·72 (S.E.) (rural) and 4·35±0·19 (S.E.) and 3·80±0·11 (S.E.) respectively. Presence of at least one living male child was statistically significantly related to acceptance of permanent sterilisation. Most parents considered permanent sterilisation a right step and were satisfied after the operation.

The rarest and most severe form of icthyosis and its association wth empyema thoracis is reported from Central India.