percent; Marshalls, 21.4 percent. The incidence of mycotic skin diseases in the Truk District was 17.1 percent. zye diseases occurring most frequently were pterygium and conyunctivitis. Cataracts occurred mostly in the aged. Eighty-five cases of blindness were congenital or the result of physical injury. In comparison with other districts, the Marshall Islands had the highest rate for pterygium, 14.6 percent, as compared with 9.0 percent for Saipan and 6.4 percent for Palau. Conjunctivitis was most prevalent in the Saipan District and cataracts occurred most frequently in the Palau District. A high incidence of acute respiratory infections existed throughout the area and was caused by the changeable humid climate, crowded living conditions, sleeping on floors, low levels of nutrition, and occa- sional poor standards of sanitation. Saipan had the highest incidence, &.5 percent, as compared with 1.3 percent for the Marshalls and 1.2 percent for Palau. Acute pharvngitis, acute tonsillitis, and the common cold occurred most frequently. Chronic tonsillitis and nasopharyngitis also were widespread with these prevalence rates: Saipan, 28.7 percent; Palau, 5.3 percent; Marshalls. 20.4 percent. Occasionally epidemics resembling common colds or influenza developedas at Truk in April 1950 andat Ulithi in November 1950. In both instances the illness was a trachea bronchitis of influenza bacilli origin. Twenty or more deaths occurred at Truk, probably because of the development of secondary pneumonias or pleural effusions due to living in houses of thatch construction; no deaths occurred at Ulithi where the people hved in quonset huts. Degenerative joint disease prevailed among the aged and showed a rate of 7.1 percent for the Saipan, Palau and Marshall Islands Districts combined, with the highest rate in the Palaus and the lowest in Saipan. Inflammatory diseases of the ear were most common in Saipan, 2.6 percent, andof lesser importance in the Palaus, .og percent, andin the Marshalls, 1.1 percent. The overall prevalence rate for vitamin deficiency was 0.9 percent andfor anemia 0.8 percent.” No generalizations concerning blood pressure readings could be made for the area as a whole because variations followed no consistent pattern. As normally expected. median blood-pressure readings, "See also table p. 852. 850 2009990 Children’s Ward. systolic and diastolic for both sex was greatest in Saipan, the most Surveys of the dental health . Whidbey, reemphasized the “ Lack of oral hygiene and the h food combinedto produce an avs older people. Caries existed in ¢ tically every caseof a person ove: involvement.” Prosthesis was u eral state of health of the peopl % CinCPacFlt Dent Off ltr ser Arz-10/P5