H.—Bl

5

Staff.

t)uring tlie year I regret to report that the Department has lost the services of Dr. Sydney Smith, who accepted a position with the Egyptian Government. Dr. Watt succeeded Dr. Smith as District Health Officer at Wellington, and in this connection it may be said that Dr. Watt is the first New Zealand graduate to take service in this Department. I cannot conclude this report without thanking those officers of the Department who have so cheerfully and so ably assisted me during this distressful year. I have, &c., T. H. A. Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals and Chief Health Officer

VITAL STATISTICS. Infectious Disease. The following table shows the number of oases of infectious diseases notified throughout the Dominion throughout the year 1916 : —

Deaths of Children under One Year. —Census, 1916.

Deaths from Certain Infectious Diseases, 1916.

Number of Cases. Kate of Incidence per 10,000 of the Population Disease. j 7 ■ 1916. 1915. 1914. 1916. 1915. 1914. _ ~~ " j ~~ ~ Scarlet fever .. .. .. 4,278. 2,301 ! 1,506 39-45 20-91 13-81 Diphtheria .. .. .. 2,370 1,404 1,095 21-80 12-70 10-04 Enteric .. .. .. 800 820 859 7-42 7-45 7-88 Tuberculosis . . . . . . 950 1,001 957 8-73 9-10 8-78 Blood-poisoning .. .. 174 140 102 1-60 1-27 1-49 Chicken-pax .. .. . . .. 354 I , 123 . . 3-22 10-30 Smallpox .. . . .. .. I 03 . . .. 0-58 Polio-myelitis .. .. 1,018 ' 10 268 9-37 0-09 2-40 Cerebrospinal meningitis .. 135 85 .. 1-24 0-77 Hydatids .. .. .. 25 17 .. 0'23 0-15 Ophthalmia neonatorum* .. 17 .. .. 0*10 .. , Totals .. .. 9,778 0,133 6,033 90-00 55-72 55-34 * Not notifiable prior to 1916.

,, Number of | Percentage of Ua 86 Deaths, 1916. | Total, 1916. Whooping-cough .. .. .. .. 44 3-04 Convulsions .. .. .. .. .. 74 5-12 Bronchitis and-pneumonia .. .. .. 75 5-19 Diarrhcea and enteritis .. .. .. 641 11-34 Malformations .. . . . . .. 108 7-47 Premature birth .. .. .. .. 381 26-35 Congenital debility .. .. .. .. 215 14-87 Other causes .. .. .. .. 385 26-62 Total .. .. .. .. 1,446 100-00

I Number of Proportion per 10,000 Clauses. Deaths, 1916. of Mean Population, 19 J 6. Typhoid fever .. .. .. .. 37 0-34 Measles .. .. .. .. .. 93 0.85 Scarlet fever .. .. .. .. 52. 047 Whooping-cough .. .. .. .. 98 0-89 Diphtheria .. .. .. .. 163 1-48 Influenza .. .. .. .. 73 ! 0-66 Pulmonary tuberculosis .. .. .. 591 , 5-38 Other forms of tuberculosis .. .. 151 I I -37 I