THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12602, 19 September 1906, Page 8

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

ANNUAL REPORT.

(SPECIAL TO " THK PKESS.")

WELLINGTON. September 18

The report of tlie Department of Public Health was presented to Parliament to-day. At tihe outset Dr. Ma-son refers hi complimentary terms to tlie manner in which his staff liavo carried out their work. He expre&=es tho hope that other members of the ecientific arm of the Department besides himself and Dr. Valiirtine may be permitted to pool thoir leave and visit the schools and wcrkthops of the older world.

MILK SUPPLY Dr. Mason states that there is urgent need for better examination and control of our milk supply. The unsavoury and insanitary state of many of tho small byres, the ignorance or want of caro of many of the milkers, combined with tho occasional ill-treat-ment of tho milk by carrier or distributor, results not infrequently in transforming an ideal food for children in.to a veritable agent for ill-health and death. Tho dubiety a<- to responsibility whicli at present exiists as between the Agricultural Department, the local authorities, and this Department, has prevented any sustained and effective control. The buyer, however, is far from free from blame. Ono has only to take his walks ah road before the shutters are down, so to speak, and ccc tho heterogeneous kind of receptacles set outside the. respectable ratepayer's door into which the milkman is required to dump tho pint or quart, amid it is hard to realise that even if the milk had escaped all the previous perils, it has many more to meet. Wide-mouthed ope-ii jugs, tin billies, with here and there only a properly constructed vessel, adorn tho doorstep or window sill. Grant that careful inspection has secured the cleanliness of the milk till the sleepy distributor has measured it out into the vessel, what dirt, and dust may not be swept into it as it waits exposed to the windswept streets? The whole system wants rearranging. -It must first be clearly laid down who is responsible for the sanitation of the cow, the byre, the carriers, and the distributors. Tho present uncertain responsibility as to control must bo settled. There should bo no difficulty in deciding this. Short of requiring the Health Department to control the whole cycle from the cow to the consumer, that is, of milk consumed by our owti people, the Agricultural Department might be made responsible for its purity until it is put upon tho train, and this Department should have absolute control from that point. Dr. Mason urges that a fair trial should 'be given to his previous suggestion, that all milk entering a town of over 4000 inhabitants should be delivered through a municipal conduit, namely, at a municipal pasteurising factory, where it should be carefully assayed, pasteurised, and delivered by officers of the borough. Farmers' interests could be safeguarded, as tbey are at tlie butter factory, and by reason of the bulk the municipality could distribute milk cheaper and with greater certainty than tho ordinary retailer. It would be sent out in properly sealed bottles, thus ensuring cleanliness, despite tbe distributors' carelessness and buyers' apathy. Tho value of a pure milk supply, says Dr. Maison, cannot bo over-estimated in its influence upon infantile, mortality. Laet year infantile diarrhtra, interitis, and marasmus, carried off 538 of our children under one year of age. These ailments are, in many instances, only synonyms for impure milk and bad feeding.

VITAL STATISTICS. A satisfactory improvement In the birth-rate is the feature of the vital statistics. The births registered last year totalled 23,682, or 27.22 per thousand, an increase of 4.02 upon the previous year. The rate was the highest since 1894. Analysing tho proportion of births to marriages, it is found that, regarded annually or decennially, there is a decided fall in the number of births per marriage. Last year's rate wna 3.24. Compared with tho rest of Australasia, New Zealand comes third for highest birth place, the figures being:— West Australia, 30.30 per thousand. Tasmania. 29.32. New Zealand, 27.22. Now South Wales, 26.73. Victoria, 24.83. South Australia, 23.82. Queensland (1904 figures only available), 27.12. There were 1082 illegitimate births in New Zealand, the rate being about the same as for tbe previous ten years. It is kes than that of any of the Austialian States excepting South Australia and West Australia. Deaths numbered 8061 last year, this being tho lowest rate since 1887. Tlie rate per thousand was 9.27, as against 9.57 in tho previous year. In this connection New Zealand is in tlie happy position of having the. beet record of any Australasian colony op European country. Tho figures for the four centres aro as follow s:—

Auckland. 12.15 (includting suburban boroughs 10.52). Wellington. 10.55 (10.21). Christchurch., 10.76 (10.89). Dirnodin, 11.13 (10.12). Infant,mortality in the centres was is follows:— Auckland, 9.15 deaths per hundred births. Wellington. 0.62. ChTistohairoh, 8.90. Dunedin, 6.71.

Dealing with causes of death, the report phiccK tubercle in the first place, 211 deaths out of a total of 646 in tho four centres beias; caused by phthisis or other tubercular disease. Cancer caused 191 deaths, a slight increase on the previous year, and l 8 per cent, of tlie total death rate for tho whole colony. There wore 159 violent- death-; at the chief centres. 109 being classed as accidental. Dr. Mason recards tho proportion of violent deaths as large. The total for the whole colony was 615. Of these 69 wcro males and 20 were females who oommitted suicide, and 126 males and 16 females who met their deaths by accidental drowning.

CONSUMPTION. Tlie movement in the direction of providing open-aid treatment for consumptives is, states Dr Mason, stead ly progressing. Much h_i been done by several officers of the Department to awaken, the public to a realisation of the magnitude and power of the enenry, nnd many in autboritv had taken up the burden. Wellington. Taranaki, Nel=on, Invercargill and Waimate have already made provision for open-air treatment, and many ether districts are at the parting of the ways. The indigent consumptive is v.ow receiving more attoiticn. and, rcrarks tho rh'e~ medical officer, "the ncorssityof having only sympathy to offer to tho poor, homeless eeeker after health is. I am truly thankful to say. getting less and lc_. : ' Dr M::sori urges the importanceof providing light employment fortnese phthisis patients who have- sufficiently n covered to re-enter the work-day world. "Ao it ii now," lie continues,

"the man or woman who leaves a sanatorium leaves comfort, Liberal feeding and all that makes for a healthful lile. to go back to a close, possibly overcrowded roc in, poor toed. a.nd work indoors. That the dis:~«o recurs, that the patient fails and finally dies, is unfortunately sometimes tho aftcr-hs-tory of a rx-rson who left the institution 'improved.' The wealthy sufferccan alter his whole mode of life, and give up his work in the efface wcrk on th? farm. Something like this should be practicable for the poor man. I suggested that if private employers would r.ot help, the Govorn.ir..-,nt nxg'it be able to give work en soxe of the State fa.rmsor forest nurvei-icii. Many i poor soul would be glad to do what work he could for the sake of his fo d and room to pitch his shelter if he ooi'.kl got the' chance. I sincerely trust that some arrangement may lie effected either wrtli the Lands or the Forestry Department."