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1928. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. ANNUAL REPORT OF DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF HEALTH.

Presented in pursuance of Section 100 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1926.

HON. J. A. YOUNG, MINISTER OF HEALTH.

CONTENTS. Reports of — page Director-General of Health .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1-5 Director, Division of Public Hygiene .. .. .. .. , .. .. .. .. 5-23 Director, Division of School Hygiene .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23-30 Director, Division of Dental Hygiene .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31-32 Director, Division of Nursing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32-36 Director, Division of Maori Hygiene .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36-38 Consulting Obstetrician .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 38-43 Inspector of Maternity Hospitals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 43-46 Health Districts : Annual Reports of Medical Officers of Health .. .. .. .. 47 -62 Medical Superintendents, Special Government Hospitals and Sanatoria .. .. .. .. 62-66 Appendix.—Medical Research; Incidence of Goitre in School-children in the Hutt Valley; Rheumatic 67-78 Diseases among Auckland School-children; Epidemic of Influenza in a Residential College; Health Conditions and Environment of Rural School-children REPORTS. The Director-General oe Health to the Hon. the Minister of Health, Wellington. I have the honour to set forth in this, the twenty-first year of my administration, the annual report of the Department for the year 1927-28.

PART I.—GENERAL SURVEY. Vital Statistics. The crude (actual) death-rate of the Dominion for the past year was 8-45 per 1,000 of the mean population. In 1926 that death-rate was 8-74. The infantile-mortality rate was 38-74 per 1,000 births, as against 39-76 for 1926. The birth-rate of 20-29 per 1,000, however, is not satisfactory, being the lowest birth-rate yet recorded in this country. This is a matter for grave concern. I have no sympathy with advocates of birth-control, who appear to be overjoyed by the fact that relatively fewer children are being born in a country so favoured as New Zealand, for, as stated in a previous report, " there is no doubt that our population is best replenished and our empty spaces best filled by our own natural increase, The new-born infant, in other words, is our best immigrant."

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