H.—3l

2

Rates of Infantile Mortality in New Zealand and Four Chief Centres (Deaths under One Year of Age per 1,000 Births), each Year 1908-17.

Public Health Act. Infectious Diseases. The following table shows the number of cases of infectious diseases notified throughout the Dominion during the year 1917 in comparison with the two previous years : —

During the year, by direction of the Hon. the Minister of Public Health, the Department commenced the. publication monthly of the Journal of Public Health. The Journal is intended chiefly for the benefit of Hospital Boards, and is much appreciated. It is also circulated to the Health authorities of other countries. This publication, together with the issue of a weekly Bulletin of Infectious Diseases, gives those interested or responsible for needful measures for checking the spread of infectious diseases full particulars as to the incidence of these diseases in the Dominion. Full details as to the incidence of infectious diseases for the year 1917 appeared in the January and February numbers of the Journal. Diphtheria. The figures disclose a widespread epidemic. The science of hygiene is as yet unable to explain why epidemics are at times suddenly revived, and why infections always present in a community perhaps but a few cases at any one time—assume unusual gravity or exceptional mildness. Enthusiastic hygienists of thirty years ago —and the young medical officers of health of to-day ■■- maintain that the outcome of public health precautions in their widest sense would be to entirely eliminate those cyclical changes that is, a wave of diminishing cases of infection followed after a lapse of some years by a pronounced rise—which the historical past discloses. New Zealand, in the. matter of diphtheria, has again experienced one. of those cyclical exacerbations unexplainable and despite, the undoubtedly advanced position she holds in so far as generally sound and effective sanitation is concerned,

Year. Now Zealand. Auckland and Suburban Boroughs. Wellington and Suburban Boroughs. Christehureh and Suburban Boroughs. Dunedin and Suburban Boroughs. 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 67-89 61-60 67-73 56-31 51-22 59-17 51-38 50-05 50-70 48-16 81-87 61-85 79-02 63-02 56-95 80-81 57-62 71-67 59-21 60-96 81-67 84-21 84-59 73-36 61-32 60-23 82-57 57-17 65-13 56-55 67-82 62-78 69-40 62-90 60-03 63-49 68-15 54-24 66-71 49-32 74-54 48-52 79-08 43-42 38-11 73-42 54-28 72-26 54-74 40-16

Number of Cases. Rate of In the icidence per Population. 10,000 of Disease. 1915. 1917. 1910. 1915. 1917. 1910. I "■ Scarlet fever Diphtheria Enteric Tuberculosis Cerebro-spinal meningitis Poliomyelitis Ophthalmia neonatorum Actinomycosis Trachoma.. .. • .. Puerperal fever Erysipelas Tetanus Uifclassified septicaemia Hydatids Smallpox Chicken-pox 2,755 5,458 653 1,521 42 54 25 2 10 81 112 5 10 27 •• t 4,278 2.376 806 950 135 1,018 17 2.301 1,404 820 1.001 85 10 * 25-06 49-65 5-94 13-83 0-39 0-49 0-23 0-01 0-09 f 0-73 J 1-01 ') 0-04 1 0-09 0-24 39-45 21-86 7-42 8-73 1-24 9-37 0-16 20-91 12-76 7-45 9-10 0-77 0-09 i f l f I -CO 1-27 I 174 J 140 25 t 17 1 354 0-23 0-15 3-22 'i L 10,755 9,779 6.133 97-80 90-06 55-72 * Not notifiable prior to 191 8. ■]■ Not notifiable i prior to 1917. *t i Not now no i tillable.