N.Z. BOAST.

Grey River Argus, 1 September 1927, Page 2

N.Z. BOAST.

Healthiest People. IN THE WORLD. (Special to Argus.) WELLINGTON, August 31. The annual report of the DirectorGeneral of Health states: The Dominion can congratulate itself that the death rate and infantile mortality rate in New Zealand arc the lowest in the world, that the incidence of enteric fever has been reduced to a phenomenal degree, that the death rate from tuberculosis is the second or third lowest in the world, and that the New Zealand infant at birth has an expectation of life greater than he would have in any other country. At the same time, we, as other countries, are not confronted with formidable problems of preventive medicine. More knowledge of the laws of health and the nature of disease is required, and such knowledge must be passed on to the public; and the Department is endeavouring to meet the situation by actively encouraging research ami education of the public in health, matters. Personal disregard of the laws of health results in much invalidity and in many premature deaths. Credit is due to voluntary organisations for splendid work in creating public, interest in these matters. WELLINGTON, August 51. Following are the Wellington vital returns, the figures being those for the past eight months, and last year’s returns for the same period being shown in parentheses:—Births 1395 •(1357), deaths 696 (714), marriages 978 (890), marriages before the Registrar 245 (263).