H.—3l

10

Kidney or Bright's Disease, 455. Since 1900, unlike heart-disease, apoplexy, and diseases of the arteries, the death-rates from which have greatly increased, that from kidney or Bright's disease has shown little variation. Diabetes, 167. There has been little variation in the death-rate from diabetes in recent years. Diseases and Accidents oe Childbirth, 134. MATERNAL MORTALITY. The following table shows the number of deaths from puerperal causes, and the rate of such deaths per 1,000 births for the five-yearly period 1924-28 : —

Deaths from all Puerperal Causes, 1924-28.

lii last year's report I included a graph showing the periodic rises in maternal mortality, which have tended to recur every nine or ten years. The puerperal septicaemia rate, although lower than last year's, is still an epidemic rate, and the rate from other puerperal causes has risen. Puerperal Septicemia, 56. This disease usually accounts for approximately one-third of the maternal deaths, but during the epidemic of the last two years, now apparently waning, it has been responsible for nearly half the maternal deaths. Local Distribution of Puerperal Septicemia Deaths. The following table gives the actual number of deaths from puerperal septicaemia in each hospital district during the three years 1926-28 inclusive :—■

Number of Deatha from Death-rate per 1,000 Live Births from Puorueral 0ther AU PuerDeral 0ther AU Q . . Puerperal 1 Puerperal o • i Puerperal Puerperal Septicemia. Ca 4 s . Cau F ses . Septicemia. Cau^es . ] Cau^es . : !_ _J | 1924 .. .. 52 88 140 1-86 3-14 5-00 1925 .. .. 42 89 131 1-49 3-16 4-65 1926 .. .. 39 81 120 1-37 2-88 4-25 1927 .. .. 70 67 137 2-51 2-40 4-91 1928 .. .. 56 78 134 2-06 2-87 4-93

Puerperal Septicaemia. Hospital District. , 1936. 1927. j 1928. I North Island. Mangonui .. .... Whangaroa . . .... Hokianga . . .. .. 1 Bay of Islands . . .. | Kaipara . . . . j Whangarei . . . . . . . . 1 Auckland . . .. 13 25 13 Waikato . . . . 5 3 4 Taumarunui Thames .. .. 1 j Waihi . . . . 1 1 Coromandel .. . . Tauranga .. . . 1 1 Bay of Plenty .. .. Opotiki .. .. i 1 Cook .. .. I '1 2 Wairoa Hawke's Bay .. . . j 4 1 Waipawa .. .. .. j 2 Dannevirke .. .. II.. Taranaki . . .. 1 2 4 Stratford .. .. i 2 1 Hawera .. .... 1 2 Patea .. .... Wanganui .. . . i .. 1 2 Palmerston North .. .. .. 1 2

Puerperal Septicemia. Hospital District. 1926. 1927. ' 1928. North Island —continued. Wellington . . .. 4 4 i 6 Wairarapa .. . . 1 1 1 26 51 41 South Island. Wairau .. . . . . .. 1 Picton Nelson .. .. . . 1 1 Buller Inangahua Grey .. .. . . 1 1 Westland .. .. J .. North Canterbury .. 1 7 6 6 Ashburton . . . . 2 1 South Canterbury .. .. 1 2 Waitaki Otago .. .. 1 5 South Otago .. .. .... Vincent . . .. .. .. 1 Maniototo .. .. Southland .. .. 2 4 3 Wallace and Fiord . . 1 13 19 15 Total for New Zealand.. 39 70 56