9

A.—4A

These local registers are of considerable value, especially to the Medical Department, in checking the children brought for inspection under our new child-welfare scheme. Other departments find, or in future will find, them useful for their purposes. The forms used by the Pulenu'u (the head man of the village) are of a pale pink colour for births and a pale blue for deaths. These forms are made up into books each containing twenty-five coloured forms, with perforated edges. The coloured forms are interleaved with white, non-perforated duplicate forms. As there are 150 Pulenu'us in Western Samoa, and the number of births is about two thousand a year, a book of this size lasts on an average for about two years. The Fa'amasino (the District Judge) has similar books, with one hundred coloured forms in each, interleaved with white duplicates. The coloured forms are of a deeper shade than those used by the Pulenu'u, and this obviates any confusion when the forms are received in the Native Office in Apia. When the forms are received in the office of the Native Department, Apia, they are numbered consecutively, and particulars entered in (a) the card index village registers, and (b) the alphabetical registers. The death of every child born since the Ist January, 1923, is also entered in the " Remarks " column of the alphabetical Birth Register, and the date of birth is written in red ink on the form sent in by the Pulenu'u. At the end of each quarter the original forms sent in by the Pulenu'us are forwarded by the Native Department to the Chief Medical Officer, and it is from these that the particulars of vital statistics are prepared for the annual report of the Department of Health. The cross-checking of deaths against the Births Register not only shows the exact age at death, but, where no record of birth can be found for a child believed to have been born since the Ist January, 1923, indicates the necessity for special inquiries to be made. So far, in nearly every instance such inquiries have shown that a change of name has been overlooked by the parents or the Pulenu'u when the death certificate was filled in. To obviate such difficulties in future it is intended to alter the death-certificate bv substituting for " First name " the words " Name under which the child was registered at birth," and, to facilitate inquiries, to add to the certificate the question, " In what village was the child born ? " At the end of each calendar year the consecutively numbered forms received from the Pulenu'us are bound, and thus form a serial index. The forms received from the Fa'amasino in charge of districts are arranged in alphabetical order and bound. At present the Administration is having attractive birth-certificates printed. These the Natives will be encouraged to keep as permanent records. On these certificates provision is made for the addition of any new names (baptismal name), and any title received later on in life. The very satisfactory results obtained under the new system of registration are due to the work of the Native Department. Where incomplete forms are received, one, either the Pulenu'u's or the Fa'amasino's, is retained in the office and the other returned to the village official concerned, for correction. At first many forms had to be thus dealt with, but now, except by newly appointed officials, very few are sent in incomplete. In the annual report of the Department of Health no claim is made that the table showing age at death is accurate except in the case of those born since the Ist January, 1923. But each year the accuracy extends by one year. Thus in the last report accuracy was only claimed for ages up to two years ; this year the age will be three years.

Hospital Statistics for Period 1st April, 1925, to 31st March, 1926.

Nationality of In-patients. Europeans. Samoans. Chinese. In hospital on Ist April, 1925 .. . . 9 23 8 Admitted during nine months .. .. . . 133 1,199 301 Discharged during nine months .. .. .. 129 1,102 286 Died during nine months .. .. .. 6 73 10 Remaining, 31st December, 1925 .. 7 47 13 This table does not include visits made to patients in their homes, nor does it include the large number of children seen by the lady Medical Officers in connection with their child-welfare work.

2—A. 4A.

Hospitals. Dispensaries. * <u cs . cj ce a § ±5 «§ 3 S g a 2 — >'3 s .3 a -f g £ &> S is <B •§ "3 gP 5 ft s .S 3 es <g « p «s cs £ o ■*3 H In hospital on 1st April, 1925 .. 30 6 2 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .40 Admitted during nine months .. l,156j 117 215 5 140 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,633 Discharged during nine months .. 1,0581 113 203 5 138 1,517 Died during nine months .. 69j 9 11 .. .. .. .. .. j .. .. .. 89 Remaining, 31st. December, 1925 59 1 3 4 I 67 Out-patients: Attendances, in- 22,578;8,032 9,733 66511,573 5,4124,3465,4805,582 4,333 534 56178,829f eluding dressings Treatments for hookworm .. 491,8631,992 .. 1,012 3,106 .. 7,591 15,613 Treatment for yaws (injections of 3,2602,537 1,128 .. 1,573 .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,51412,012 NA.B.) Operations— Major .. .. • ■ 80 2 14 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 96 Minor .. .. .. 172 76 190 .. 239 .. | 677 « Dispensary closed for three months, due to illness and subsequent death of dispenser. Returns incomplete. t includes 868 Chinese out-patients attendances.