PUBLIC HEALTH.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16408, 31 December 1918, Page 7

PUBLIC HEALTH.

CANTERBURY STATISTICS FOR 1918. The following tables, compiled from the monthly bulletins issued by the District Health Officer, indicate the extent of notifiable diseases experienced during the year. The figures relating to December are compiled up to noon yesterday. The outstanding feature in connexion with 1918, from the point of view of the public health, was the outbreak of virulent influenza in November, no fewer than 1543 cases having been notified to the District Health Officer. It is not asserted that this represents the total number of cases, as it is admitted that during the height of the epidemic medical men were kept so busy that it was not possible for tnem to rigidly adhere to 'tho requirements of the law regarding the notification of .every case. iFor the whole of the XJanterbury Health District which, in addition to Canterbury proper, includes Wostland, Grey, Inangahua, and Buller, there were, during 1918, a total of 492 cases of scarlet fever reported, 880* cases of diphtheria, and 254 cases of tuberculosis. The figures for each month are

• I>nring December 128 cases of measles ■were reported as follows: Buller 1, North Canterbury 120, South Canterbury 2, and Ashburton 5.

as follows _ , Scarlet Diph- TuberMonth. Fever, theria. culosis. January ... 38 66 31 February ... 29 61 14 March ... 45 60 15 April ... 51 82 16 May ... "0 ;J139 23 June ... 46 • 103 23 July .... 45 78 28 August ... 48 119 25 September ... 4i5 73 13 October ... 30 64 33 November ... 17 14 13 . December ... 30 21 20 Totals ... 492 880 254 The monthly figures relating to the North Canterbury portion of t!he Health District (which includes Christohurch city and suburbs) are as follows: — Scarlet Diph- TuberMonth. Fever, theria. culosis. January ... 31 52 25 February ... 22 51 6 March ... 18 52 11 April ... 25 65 14 May ... 43 115 11 June ... 35 68 18 July ... 31 56 22 August ... 31 100 19 September ... 30 60 9 October ... 17 48 24 November ... 8 9 8 December ... 13 15 17 Totals ... 304 691 184 There were also notified during the vear in the North Canterbury portion of the district 8 cases of orysipelas, 5 of cerebro-spinal-mcningitie, 4 of hydatids, and 3 of enteric fever. The total number of cases of influenza notified to the District Health Officer during November and December was 1543. The details are as follows: — Portion of Novem- DecemDistrict. ber. ber. Total. "Westland ... 8 0 8 Buller ... 7 20 27 Inangafrua ... 0 12 12 Grey ... 15 0 15 North Canterbury 523 746 1272 Ash burton ... 50 70 120 South Canterbury 44 45 89 Totals ... €50 893 1543