13

H—3l

In order to more definitely gauge the import of the present epidemic I present hereunder a columnar graph giving the death-rate from this disease per 1,000,000 of population since the year 1872.

Scarlet-fever Death-rate per 1,000,000 of Population from 1872 to 1929.

(Note. —No figures available for year 1899.) This graph shows from the annual deaths recorded that epidemics of scarlet fever tend to run a course of three or more years, and that this epidemic has been less fatal than previous visitations. Whooping-cough, 17 ; Measles, 1. The year 1929 was a light one for both whooping-cough and measles. Epidemics of these two diseases tend to recur every few years, but the death-rate over the last fifty years has reduced greatly. The death-rate from both these diseases during 1929 was extremely low. 1 present two columnar graphs showing the death-rates annually since 1872. They illustrate two interesting points : (1) That New Zealand is about due for a measles and whooping-cough epidemic (it usually occurs in the spring) ; (2) that the resultant death-rates from such epidemics have reduced very greatly.

Whooping-cough—Death-rate per 1,000,000 of Population from 1872 to 1929.