Data collected on 689 infants, in a study to assess the incidence of diarrhoea during infancy, is used here to quantify the extent of under-reporting in diarrhoea morbidity surveys. The study area consisted of two contiguous primary health centres in Villupuram health unit district in Tamil Nadu, south India. Each day of infancy was assigned a recall period and proportion of diarrhoeal days for various recall period computed. The proportion of diarrhoea was 11.3%, 12.0% and 11.2% for zero, one and two days of recall period, respectively, (mean 11.5%) after which the proportion decreased. The under-reporting of diarrhoea was approximately 15%, 26% and 45% with three, six and 7-13 days of recall period, respectively compared to mean. As there is considerable under-reporting of diarrhoea morbidity when recall period exceeds three days, it would be better to collect information on diarrhoea twice a week in diarrhoeal morbidity surveys.

About 200 individuals aged 60 years and above, out of 317 total geriatric population of a small village in Tamil Nadu were subjected for complete clinical examinations with the objective of finding major health problems and associated social problems prevalent among these study population. Main causes of illness were found to be arthritis, cataract, bronchitis, skin diseases and malnutrition.

Early neonatal morbidity & mortality were studied in 7972 viable live born babies over one year period in Medical College, Calcutta. Early neonatal morbidity and mortality rate were 66.85 & 32.86 respectively. About 48% of Early neonatal deaths occurred in 1st 48 hours & 80% within first 72 hours of life. Early neonatal mortality rate per 1000 was maximum in babies born of a primi (43.03) and grand multiparous mother (103.89); maternal age less than 20 yrs. (44.15), and more than 30 yrs. (46.04) & in multiple pregnancy (142.85). It was highest in breech delivery (114.28) & with maternal disease like dribling (179), hypertension (146) & APH (116). Birth asphyxia contributed 65.26% of early neonatal deaths, followed by septicaemia (10.3%). Klebsiella was the most common (55%) organism.

Hospitalization, especially for chronic diseases, can have a number of varied effects upon a patient and his or her family members. Those effects were assessed among a sample of patients seen at Tuberculosis Research Center, Chennai. 200 consecutive patients of mean age 23.7 years upon admission with tuberculosis of the spine were considered for study. The patients were aged 18 months to 60 years. 130 patients were hospitalized, of whom 63 belonged to the operated category. 54 patients were in hospital for 4-5 months, 54 for 6 months, and 22 for more than 9 months to a maximum duration of 18 months. A number of personal and other problems related to hospitalization are listed. Noted by 84% of hospitalized patients, financial difficulties comprised by far the most often noted problem. 34% noted home sickness, 20% boredom, 18% an effect upon household responsibilities, and 17% an effect upon a household member's education.

There has been a growing interest during recent years in the role of free radicals and lipid-peroxidation at tissue-level for the causation of cancer and other age-related diseases like atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cataract etc. Free radicals and increased lipid peroxidation play a significant role for causation of human diseases by oxidative damage and functional degeneration of the tissues. Vitamin C, a well-known dietary antioxidant, and other enzymatic antioxidants like glutathione can protect the lipids of lipoproteins and other biomembranes against peroxidative damage by intercepting oxidants before they can attack the tissues. But cigarette smoking was found to affect the antioxidant protective action of Vitamin C, glutathione etc. A group of adult male smokers in this study were found to have lowered Vitamin 'C' & glutathione levels, but increased lipid-peroxide levels in their blood. Thus the increased pathogenicity of the smoking may also be due to indirect biochemical effect of enhanced oxidative stress by increased lipid-peroxidation and lowered Vitamin C & other antioxidants at tissue-level.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti in cities and A. albopictus in suburban and rural areas. Dengue outbreaks occur almost regularly and sometimes reach epidemic proportions in cities and towns. Dengue endemicity in Calcutta was established for the first time in 1960, then re-established by another serosurvey in 1966. An outbreak of dengue was recently reported in the Bankura district of the city, where it has not previously been reported. With the literature suggesting a recent change in the epidemiology of dengue, probably due to the invasion of suburban and urban areas by A. aegypti and A. albopictus, respectively, a preliminary study was conducted to determine whether A. albopictus has gained a foothold in Calcutta. A larval and adult survey of Aedes species conducted from October 1995 to September 1996 in crowded areas of the city and an urban garden in central city found both A. aegypti and A. albopictus present in the surveyed areas as larvae and adults. A. albopictus, however, is competing with, and attempting to displace, A. aegypti.