THE FIGHT WITH DISEASE

Thames Star, Volume LIX, Issue 16656, 28 November 1925, Page 5

THE FIGHT WITH DISEASE

HEALTH DEPT.’S EFFORTS. DISPLAY AT N.Z. EXHIBITION. HAMMERING AT DEATH RATE. For the past two decades New Zealand has been hammering incessantly at the infant mortality rate, until now it is the lowest in the world. The various stages of decline are portrayed in a wonderfully novel and attractive manner at the Health Department’s exhibit at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition at Dunedin. Mr E. R. Myers, of 'the Department of Health, has returned to Wellington from the south after assisting with the exhibit.

“An attempt to make the display of otherwise dry statistics arresting and interesting,” he said, “is carried out by means of two working figures which automatically raise and drop hammers to indicate the drop in the death rates of diseases over certain periods. Reducing Infant Mortality.

“On the one hand, we observe a nurse starting in 1900 in infant mortality having a death rate of 44 in every 1000 births, and gradually knocking this cfown until it is now 14 in 1000 —the lowest in the world. However, this refers to children o,f one month and under one year only. A footnote admits that the position is not so good for children under one month, but it is obvious that the Department is out to reduce the death rate here also, and is already taking steps that should soon show results. Then we observe the doctor hammering at typhoid fever. The rate is knocked down from 23 in 1000 (1890) to 1.5 in 1000 (1924)-r a very striking result. "It is well-known that typhoid and enteric took heavy toll of the army in South Africa, but we learn that notwithstanding 'the size of the army in France as compared with that in South Africa, there were fewer cases (7423) in France than actual deaths (10,144) in South Africa In South Africa 13.7 per cent of the cases died, while in France 3.58 per cent died, and these were practically all which had not been inoculated with vaccine.”

“A bird’s eye-view of Healthland,” is how the school hygiene division is brought before visitors. Ingeniously set out in the foreground is a representation of “Bathtubville” to commence the day, while the rpad winds back to “Long Sleep Mountain,” having passed through playgrounds and various townships' with names representing things good for children to eat. There is a large contour model of New Zealand with the various geological areas defined, and the connection shown between the nature of the soil and the prevalence, of goitre in certain areas. A great attraction is the model showing two farms—one in sanitary and the other sanitary. A chart is alongside to demonstrate the points that it is intended to bring out, and the obvious contrast in the two farms is brought out with striking realism. The workmanship in this model is not surpassed by anything of its kind in the Exhibition. Treatment of Deformity. “The department,” Mr Myers continued, “also displays casts of limbs, showing conditions before and after treatment at King George V. Hospital, Rotorua. There is sufficient here to give one an idea of the wonderful possibilities of orthopaedic surgery, and it is certain that many children, either born with deformities of the limbs or having contracted deformities through various diseases, notably infantile paralysis, have had conferred upon them inestimable benefits by the treatment now available. Photographs showing different phases of the work at the institution indicate that the children appear very happy in their surroundings and are well cared for, educationally as well as physically. “The exhibit was not quite complete on the opening day owing to some'details and apparatus having failed to materialise. However, the display is being added to as possible without doing much more of a permanent nature owing to the great space that will be required to display the exhibits of the Ministry for Health now en route from Wembley. This latter is practically the whole of the display prepared by the Ministry for Health. It is most comprehensive and valuable, and is certain to provide special interest at the exhibition as soon as it is available. It is anticipated that everything will be here and ready for viewing early in January.”