A.—4

Native Medical Practitioners. All Native medical practitioners employed by the Administration hold a diploma entitling them to practise medicine and surgery in Western Samoa. This is awarded by the Central Medical School in Suva by examination tests at the end of a three-year course, which since January, 1931, has been extended to four years. The Administration pay all expenses of the students whilst at the Medical School. There are forty students in the school, four being the Samoa quota.

Infant Mortality. Deaths (Samoans) at Different Ages.

The infant-mortality rates, per 1,000 registered births, have been as follow : — Year. Year. Year. Year. 1923 .. 200 1926 .. 106 1929 .. 70 1931 .. 11l 1924 .. 153 1927 .. 101 1930 .. 61 1932 .. 121 1925 .. 186 1928 .. 58 During the years 1926 to 1930 notifications of births and deaths were neglected by the Natives, and it is a likely corollary of this deficiency that infant deaths would have escaped registration in greater proportion than all others. In consequence, though the rate of infant-mortality is serious, it shows no definite evidence of increase, while the Native population generally is increasing at the rate of over 3 per cent, per annum (see Population, Chapter XXIII). The matter is engaging the earnest attention of the Administration. Participation by Missions in Medical Work. All the missions of different denominations purchase stocks of drugs and dressings at the Apia Hospital dispensary from time to time, and use them in their schools.

Laboratory. Specimens examined numbered 900, and 633 Kahn tests for yaws were carried out.

Meteorological.

16

Number of Deaths. Percentage of Total Deaths. 1930. 1931. 1932. 1930. 1931. 1932. i Under 1 week 25 17 20 5-22 2-89 3-74 From 1 week to 1 month .. . . 12 13 16 2-50 2-21 2-99 From 1 month to 3 months . . .. 13 14 13 2-72 2-39 243 From 3 months to 6 months .. .. 9 20 26 1-88 340 4-86 From 6 months to 12 months . . . . 31 89 79 647 1547 14-77 From 1 year to 2 years . . . . . . 18 42 36 3-76 746 6-73 From 2 years to 3 years . . . . . . 13 47 27 2-72 8-00 5-05 From 3 years to 4 years .. .. .. 11 16 14 2-31 2-73 ! 2-60 From 4 years to 5 years . . .. .. 17 15 7 3-54 2-56 1-31 From 5 years to 10 years .. .. 15 46 24 343 7-83 449 Over 10 years .. .. .. .. 315 268 273 65-75 45-66 ; 51-03 Totals .. .. .. 479 587 535 i 100-00 100-00 | 100-00

Month. Pressure. Temperature. Rainfall. Humidity. Sunshine. Wind. - Per Cent. ! Miles per 1932 In °F In. ( 9 a - m -) Hours. Hour - January .'. .. 29-743 79-8 21-34 82 157-5 3-4 February .. .. 29-780 79-8 13-70 78 193-1 3-7 March .. .. 29-783 79-7 14-20 77 210-6 3-4 April .. .. 29-770 79-2 12-81 83 158-8 2-7 May .. 29-856 80-6 3-80 76 251-1 4-2 June .. .. 29-867 78-3 1-31 76 239-1 2-3 July .. .. 29-836 79-2 2-42 76 247-7 3-4 August .. .. 29-880 78-8 5-99 77 254-4 3-4 September .. .. 29-865 78-6 6-27 74 231-1 3-5 October .. .. 29-857 79-7 6-77 73 248-1 4-6 November .. .. 29-800 79-6 20-09 79 191-6 3-0 December .. .. 29-756 80-2 15-24 79 215-8 2-8 Mean or total.. 29-82 79-5 123-9 77 2598-9 3-4