H.—3l.

This year's figures still show no signs of any detrimental effect. The following two tables give information additional to what appears in the earlier part of this report:—

In-patients Treated in Hospitals.

Taking the Dominion, as a whole, there is little variation in the percentage of children found to be suffering from sub-normal nutrition, the figures for the year under review being, indeed, slightly lower, as is shown by the following table :— Subnormal Nutrition amongst School-children. v Percentage of Total Number of Children examined. 1929 . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-06 1930 .. .. .. .. .. .. 6-30 1931 .. .. .. .. .. .. 6-68 1932 .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-81 1933 .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-48 This matter is further dealt with in the report of the Director of the Division of School Hygiene. Milk in its relation to Public Health. It is an interesting, but none the less desirable, manifestation of the times that keen public interest has recently been aroused in schemes aimed at increasing the consumption of milk and milk-products by the community. For many years the Health Department has drawn attention to the fact that the consumption of milk in New Zealand falls far short of what is desirable, and that the increased use of milk as a food would be of great benefit, particularly in the case of children. Successful demonstrations have been given here as elsewhere of the practicability and value of large-scale methods of distributing milk to children in the school. These demonstrations, which have been carried out under the general supervision and direction of the School Medical Service, have been rendered possible by the activities of organizations such as the Smith Family, the Red Cross, Rotary, &c., to whom the utmost credit is due for their generosity. At the present time, particularly, this supplementary milk ration has proved of great benefit in reducing any tendency towards undernutrition amongst school-children. Milk is a unique food and occupies a particularly important place in the dietary. This is due alike to the high quality of its proteins, to the presence of vitamin A and D in its generous store of easily assimilable fats, and to the large amount of salts, particularly lime and phosphorus, which it contains. These are the constituents which have earned for milk the name of a " protective food." Unfortunately, milk is a favourable medium for the growth of micro-organisms pathogenic to man, and outbreaks of disease have occasionally been associated with its use. These outbreaks, it should be made clear, are due to faulty methods of milk-production and milk-handling, and can be obviated by suitable means. New Zealand compares not unfavourably with other countries in respect of the wholesomeness of its milk-supply, and milk-borne diseases do not figure with undue prominence in our health records. Indeed, so far as tuberculosis, perhaps the most dreaded of milk-borne diseases, is concerned, New Zealand appears in a particularly favourable light. In any case, in pasteurization we have a proved and highly effective method of making milk safe. To sum up, then, it can be said, — (1) Milk is a most important food, and should occupy an important place in the dietary. (2) The consumption of milk in New Zealand (rather less than half a pint per head per day) is far below what is desirable. Every child should have at least one pint, and, preferably, one and a half pints daily. Every adult should have at least half a pint and preferably one pint daily. (3) Raw milk is occasionally infected either from the cow or from human beings with microorganisms that are pathogenic to man. (4) Milk may be rendered safe by some form of heat treatment. Of the various forms available low-temperature pasteurization appears to be the most satisfactory as, efficiently carried out, it destroys all pathogenic micro-organisms without any appreciable impairment of the nutritive qualities of the milk. (5) Pasteurization is not to be regarded as a substitute for cleanliness in the production and handling of milk. The ideal is pasteurization superimposed as an additional precautionary measure on milk which has been produced from a healthy herd by healthy milkers under hygienic conditions. (6) Where pasteurization is not practicable the householder can make the milk safe by boiling it immediately before use.

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v Persons under Proportion per 1,000 eai ' Treatment. of Population. 1928-29 .. .. .. 87,888 60-20 1929-30 .. .. .. 89,761 60-75 1930-31 .. .. .. 89,147 59-52 1931-32 .. .. .. 85,562 56-06 1932-33 .. .. .. 85,646 56-00