H.—3l

6

STILL-BIRTHS. Still-births, which are defined by the Births and Deaths Registration Act of 1924 as " children which have issued from their mother after the expiration of the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, and which were not alive at the time of such issue," are compulsorily registrable in the Dominion. The next table shows the number of such births and their rate per 1,000 live births in individual years for the quinquennium 1924-28. Still-births (Number and Rate) in New Zealand, 1924-28. Total Number Rate of Still-births Year. of Still-births per 1,000 registered. Live Births. 1924 .. .. .. .. .. ' 855 30-5 1925 .. .. . . .. .. 861 30-6 1926 .. .. . . .. .. 886 31-1 1927 .. .. .. .. .. 878 31-5 1928 .. .. .. .. .. 839 30-8 A noticeable feature of the table is the reduction in the rate of still-births for the year under review, this being the first time during the quinquennium that the proportion of still-births to live births has shown a decline. (Note. —Still-births are not included, either as births or deaths, in the various numbers and rates given elsewhere in this report.) THE PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF DEATH. The following table gives the main causes of deaths last year in their order of magnitude, and the actual number of deaths therefrom :— Total Deaths in New Zealand in 1928, 11,811. Causes. Actual Deaths. Heart-disease (all forms) .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,315 Cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,374 Chest-diseases — Pneumonia .. .. . . . . . . . . 422 Pneumonia secondary to influenza, whooping-cough, and measles 147 Broncho-pneumonia .. .. .. . . .. 230 Bronchitis .. .. .. . . .. . . 228 1,027 Violence . . .. . . . . . . .. .. .. 956 Tuberculosis (all forms) .. .. .. .. . . .. 699 Apoplexy or cerebral haemorrhage .. .. .. . . . . 643 Senility .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 544 Kidney or Bright's disease . . .. . . .. .. .. 455 Disease of the arteries .. . . .. .. .. .. 394 Diabetes .. .. .. .. . . . . . • . . 167 Diseases and accidents of childbirth (i.e., maternal mortality) . . . . 134 Diarrhoea and enteritis .. . . . . .. .. . . 110 Appendicitis .. .. .. . ■ . • . • . ■ 107 Hernia and intestinal obstruction . . .. .. . . .. 100 Epilepsy .. .. .. .. .. .. . • .. 60 Common Infectious Diseases. Influenza (all forms, including pneumonic) .. .. . .. 242 Diphtheria .. .. . . .. . . . . • ■ 72 Scarlet fever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Whooping-cough .. . . .. . . . . . . . . 26 Typhoid fever .. . . .. .. . . . . . . 16 Measles .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 Infant Mortality. Infant deaths (under one year), all causes .. .. . . . . 984 The first six causes in the above list account for 7,014 deaths, or approximately two-thirds of the total. Obviously with some of them —e.g., tuberculosis, the common chest-diseases, some forms of heart-disease, and apoplexy —habits of life and environment are important factors. The correction of faulty habits, where applicable, and the improvement of the environment of an unfortunate or careless minority of the New Zealand public would reduce these deaths, and the numbers are such as to offer a margin of gain worth the effort. It is only by the active co-operation of the public, the local authorities, the medical and nursing professions, and the Department of Health in definite diseaseprevention in the home, school, and workplace environment of the people that great reduction in our death-rate will be made.