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1930. NEW ZEALAND

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

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

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

CONTENTS. Reports of — page Director-General of Health .. .. .. .. .. .. .. , . ~ i_4 Director, Division of Public Hygiene .. .. .. .. .. .. ~ .. 5-22 Director, Division of School Hygiene .. .. .. .. .. .. ~ .. 22-28 Director, Division of Hospitals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 29-34 Director, Division of Dental Hygiene .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34-36 Director, Division of Nursing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36-39 Director, Division of Maori Hygiene .. .. .. .. .. .. ~ ... 39-44 Consulting Obstetrician .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 44-52 Inspector of Private and Maternity Hospitals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 52-56 Health Districts : Annual Reports of Medical Officers of Health .. .. .. .. .. 57-81 Medical Superintendents, Special Government Hospitals and Sanatoria .. .. .. .. 81-85 Appendix.—Special Investigations: Still-births and Neo-natal Deaths; Maori and Pakeha — Study in Comparative Health of; Survey of Menstrual Function of Training - college Students and Highschool Girls; Survey of Physical Education, Auckland Schools ; Dysentery Outbreak in the Auckland District .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 85-95

EEPOETS. The Director-General of Health to the Hon. the Minister op Health, Wellington. I have the honour to lay before you the annual report of the Department for the year 1929-30.

PART I.—GENERAL SURVEY. Vital Statistics. Death-rate.—The crude (actual) death-rate for the Dominion for the past year was 8-75 per 1,000 of the mean population. In 1928 the death-rate was 8-49. The infantile mortality was 34-10, which records a remarkable fall on the previous year's rate of 36-18. Birth-rate.—The birth-rate per 1,000 of the mean population was 19-01 in comparison with 19-56 for 1928. The total number of births registered was 26,747, being 453 below the total for 1928. This is the lowest birth-rate recorded in the Dominion, a matter of grave concern. In this connection the following remarks made by Dr. Gr. H. Abbott in his presidential address before the Australasian Medical Congress last year in regard to women avoiding having families may well be quoted : " All medical men are faced with the fact that many married women avoid having a family and that many others unduly limit the number of their children, and we know that often much damage is done to married

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