H.—3l.

The District Health Officer for Auckland gives the following statistics for his district in connection with infant mortality : — Auckland and suburban boroughs— Deaths of infants under one year .. .. . . . . .. 173 ~ between one year and five years .. .. 50 223 Deaths of Children under One Year to every 100 Births for Five Years. Auckland Auckland and City. Suburban Boroughs. 1904 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6-93 7-01 1905 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10-13 9-15 1906 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9-92 8-58 1907 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10-55 9-72 1908 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8-62 8-19 The foregoing are the figures relating to Auckland and the suburban boroughs. I have, however, caused to be compiled some data regarding all the children under one year of age whose deaths have been recorded at the office of the Registrar of Deaths, Auckland, and from the larger figures thus obtained some interesting results appear. The total number of deaths of children under one year registered at Auckland during 1908 was 257. Of these, 143 were males and 114 females. Analysing the deaths with regard to causation, I find that of the 257 deaths, probably 164 resulted from causes which might be prevented, namely : — Inanition, infantile debility .. .. .. . . .. 15 Marasmus, asthenia, atrophy, heart-failure . . . . . . 36 Malnutrition, dry-nursing, want of breast-milk . . .. .. 10 Enteritis, dysentery, diarrhoea . . .. . . .. .. 92 Dentition, convulsions .. .. .. .. .. 11 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. ..164 The causes of the remaining 93 deaths may be classified thus : — Premature and parturition . . . . .. .. .. 37 Congenital and unclassified .. .. .. .. .. 17 Tuberculosis . . .. .. .. .. . . . . 3 Syphilis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Tetanus .. . . . . . . .. .. .. 3 Meningitis .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 — 17 Whooping-cough .. .. .. .. . . .. 5 Bronchitis and pneumonia . . .. .. . . . . 17 — 22 Total .. .. .. .. . . .. .. 93 Deaths of children under one year registered in Auckland .. .. .. 257 The Registrar of Births here (Mr. Culpan) informs me that he already remarks good results from the operation of the Infant Life Protection Act of 1907, under section 20 (2), requiring the occupier of the house to give notice of any birth in a city or borough within seventy-two hours thereof, or within twenty-one days in any other case. These notices are accepted in any written form, on any slip of paper. It operates beneficially in this way : that what has to be done at once is usually done, while what may be deferred fourteen days, twenty-one days, sixty-two days, is often postponed indefinitely, and so may not be done at all. The receipt of these casual informal notices enables the Registrar to insist upon the full detailed registration within the proper period. Result, more complete registration records. The following table taken from the report of the District Health Officer, Wellington, relates to the infant mortality in that district: — Infantile Mortality to every 100 Births. ~. „. Wellington Average of Four Wellington a J including "" Suburbs. Suburbs. 1904 .. .. .. .. .. 9-55 9-53 8-94 1905 .. .. .. .. .. 10-02 9-62 8-66 * 1906 .. .. .. .. .. 7-11 7-19 7-61 1907 .. .. .. .. .. 11-85 11-78 10-91 1908 .. .. .. .. .. 8-24 8-17 . 7-84 Mean for five years' . . . . 9-35 9-25 8-79 The District Health Officer, Christchurch, comments thus on the infantile mortality : — For the year ending 31st December, 1908, the infantile mortality in Christchurch—that is, the proportion of deaths of children under one year of age to every 100 births —reached the low figure of 6-78, which was the lowest in the four centres. There were only 8 deaths from infantile diarrhoea and

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