LOWEST DEATH RATE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16713, 20 April 1922, Page 5

LOWEST DEATH RATE.

LAST YEAR’S RECORD {'Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April in. The past year, states*, a report compiled by the head office of the Public Health Department, has been an exceptionally favourable one, for the death rate, 8.73 per thousand of the population, is the lowest yet recorded. The infant mortality rate was 47.8 per thousand births, an exceptionally low figure, second only to the figure of 1919. 45.26 per thousand births. Infectious diseases there always have been and always will be, but in that respect as well the past pear has been a good one. The figures in respect of poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis), puerperal septicaemia and erysipelas show increases on the average of former years, but on the other hand there have been very satisfactory falls in the numbers of notifications of influenza of the three serious forms (fulminant, pneumonic and septicosmi •) and pneumonia. The following table allows tho numbers of notifications of the chief infectious diseases in the Dominion during the past five years;—

Cases of infantile paralysis were fairly generally spread over the whole Dominion, the principal contributions to the total figure being:—Auckland hospital district 21, Wanganui 33, Wellington 18, North Canterbury 52, and Otago 28. In 1921 there were 178 notified cases of puerperal septicsemia against 124 in the preceding year, and 228 cases of erysipelas, as against 156, but it is considered that the greater number of cases of puerperal septicaemia may have been due to some extent to the publicity given to the fact that tlie disease was a serious menace to the country, and resulting in the greater zeal of those whose duty it is to notify the Health Department of cases coming under their notice. Whether that is so or not, the great improvement in the health of the country as regards influenza and pneumonia far more than balances off the figure. In 1920 there 'ere 470 notifications of severe influenza and 1933 of pneumonia, whereas last year t.ho figures dropped sharply to 295 and 1029. As regards tuberculosis, it is considered that the death rate gives a truer idea of the prevalence of the disease than notifications, and tables show that deaths last year were 793, corresponding to 6.48 per 1000 of tlie mean population. TJie figure is the second lowest records, the lowest being 6.30 in 1915.

1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. 1921. Scarlet fever . 2755 1654 1621 1248 1845 Diphtheria . . 5458 5539 3499 2442 2611 Enteric . . 653 423 477 389 45 7 Tuberculosis . 1521 1072 981 1305 120/ Ccrebro S.M. . 42 159 P6 79 56 Poliomyelitis . 54 6 11 46 267