HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21979, 14 June 1933, Page 8

HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE

EFFECT OF PRESENT CONDITIONS NO INCREASE OF • DISEASE (Special to Daily Times.) - CHRISTCHURCH, June 13. The contention of the Minister of Health (Mr J. A. Young) that the depression had had no ill-effects on the health of the community was supported by statements made to-day by persons interested in public health in Christchurch. There has been a decline in infectious diseases in Canterbury over last year, and for the past two years the admissions to the Christchurch Hospital had been extraordinarily light. Reports from the school medical officers in Canterbury also show that malnutrition among school children has not increased. The Minister, in his statement said that there Ijad been a reduction in the number of’admissions to hosuitals, and the figures for malnutrition among children entering the primary schools had decreased from 8.39 per cent, in 1926 to 8.26 per cent, in 1932. The experience in Canterbury bore out the Minister’s contention, said the assistant district medical officer of health (Colonel F. W. W. Dawson). It would appear that all classes of the community were endeavouring to the best of their ability to maintain the nourishment of the children, whatever other sacrifices they might be called upon to make. The last thing to be sacrificed was the children’s food. Colonel Dawson said that medical officers found in many cases of malnutrition that it was not so much the quantity of food that was at fault as the quality. Parents were often giving children the wrong type of food. Wherever possible, the medical officers corrected this state of affairs. The great difficulty, however, was the shortage of clothes, and the remedying of this was beyond the power of the department. Regarding the general health of the community, Colonel Dawson said that the figures for the year ended March 31 last showed decreases of 364 and 33 respectively in the cases of notifiable infectious diseases and deaths from those diseases. The decreases chiefly noted were in scarlet fever and diphtheria. There was also a marked decrease in the number of cases of tuberculosis notified'. This latter condition, he said, would not obtain if the health of the community were seriously undermined by malnutrition. The medical superintendent of the Christchurch Hospital (Dr W. B. Fox) said that the admissions to the institution over, the last two years had been extraordinarily small. Even to-day some of the medical wards were empty. This state of' affairs reflected an improvement in the general health of the people. People were not over-indulging in food and alcohol as they had been doing in more prosperous times, and naturally their health was better. Dr Fox also said that unfortunately in one respect not so many people were working too hard. Overwork often contributed to illness and admission t to hospital.