H.—3l.

Table D.—Venereal-diseases Clinics. —Cases treated during the Year ended 31st December, 1931.

. A comparison, of this table with that for last year (1930) shows that at the Auckland clinic there was an increase in new cases of syphilis of seventy-eight for the year and at the Wellington clinic seventy. This is an unpleasant fact, and the Medical Officers of Health are endeavouring to ascertain the cause of this increase. As conjectures it is possible that owing to straightened circumstances a greater proportion of sufferers, some of whom formerly went to private practitioners, &c., now attend the public clinics, or it may be that one of the effects of the depression is to increase the incidence of venereal disease. These clinics commenced operations in 1919. In an endeavour to gauge the significance of this apparent increase I have tabulated hereunder the annual attendances at public clinics (whole Dominion) of new cases of syphilis and of gonorrhoea commencing with the year 1922, by which time these public clinics were in full swing and the immediate effects of the war may be said to have passed.

This table shows for new cases of syphilis that expressed as a rate per 1,000 of mean population the peak year was 1922, but last year there was a sharp rise in incidence. In respect of gonorrhoea there has been a progressive increase from 1922, reaching its peak in 1929, since when the position has eased somewhat. The social conditions of the people (late marriages, &c.), and the serious effects of these two diseases are such that neither the Department nor the Hospital Boards can afford to view an increase in incidence with equanimity.

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Auckland. Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Totals. . . Number of persons dealt with at or in con- m. f. m. f. m. f. m. f. m. f nection with the out-patient clinic for the first time and found to be suffering from — Syphilis.. .. .. 167 62 75 44 22 9 26 13 290 128 Soft sore . . . . .. 9 17 .. 4 .. 30 Gonorrhoea .. .. .. 572 137 335 *86 279 88 *78 *52 1,264 *363 No venereal disease . . .. 118 47 66 42 25 9 14 9 223 107 Total attendance of all persons at the outpatient clinics who were suffering from — Syphilis 2,236 1,113 2,516 1,209 1,002 713 1,076 773 6,830 3,808 feoft sore . . . . 131 74 .. 36 241 Gonorrhoea .. .. .. 18,385 1,678 16,650 2,561 8,466 4,389 4,332 3,1.72 47 833 ll'sOO No venereal disease .. 174 72 85 21 21 7 280 100 Aggregate number of in-patient days of treatment given to persons suffering from— Syphilis .. .. .. . . 694 341 370 1 064 341 Gonorrhoea .. .. .. 1,451 456 2,519 .. ! .. .. j .. .. 456

Persons attending Public Clinics in New Zealand for the first time, and found to be suffering from Year. Gonorrhoea. Syphilis. Number. j īl ate P if 1 'i°9? ° f Number I Rate P er 1 ' 00 ° of Mean Population. i Mean Population. 1922 .. .. ' 1,039 0-83 399 0-32 1923 .. .. .. | 986 0-77 323 0-25 1924 .. .. .. 1,129 0-87 240 0-18 1925 .. ,. .. 1,176 0-88 255 0-19 1926 .. .. .. 1,454 1-07 268 0-20 1927 .. .. ... 1,584 1-15 245 0-18 1928 1,617 1-16 220 0-16 1929 1,855 1-32 308 0-22 1930 .. .. .. 1,789 1-26 269 0-19 1931 .. .. .. 1,617 : 1-12 418 0-29