11.—31

12

Whilst the role of the bacillus of the bovine type as a cause of suffering and death cannot be ignored, it must be considered the lesser factor. More marked improvement is to be expected from an intensification of the campaign against the human type of bacillus, the reservoir of which is to be found in those suffering from tuberculosis of the respiratory system. Common Infectious Diseases. —New Zealand has been particularly fortunate during the past several years in the absence of serious epidemics, with a consequent low incidence of deaths from these diseases. The comparisons shown in the table given above cannot therefore be taken as indicating the relative positions of the two countries in regard to the diseases shown. The only serious epidemic experienced in 1936, acute poliomyelitis, commenced, at the end of the calendar year, and therefore does not appear to any but a minor extent. Further comment on this epidemic is made later in this report. Infant Moetality : 769. The infant-mortality rate for 1936 was 30-96 per 1,000 live births, the lowest ever experienced.

Infant Mortality in New Zealand, 1930-36 (per 1,000 Live Births).

Analysis of Deaths of Infants under One Month of Age, 1936. The following table gives the causes of these deaths during the year :—

SECTION 2.—NOTIFIABLE DISEASES. Attached are four tables showing the notifications of infectious and other notifiable diseases in the Dominion for the year 1936. Tables A, B, and C, and unless otherwise stated the comments and tables in this section, deal with Europeans only. Genbeal. During the past five years New Zealand has been rernarkably free from epidemics of notifiable diseases, the highest number of notifications received in any of these years being 3,715 in 1932. In 1936 notifications numbered 3,652, an increase of 303 over those for the previous year. Increases occurred in the following common infectious diseases, the increase being given in parentheses: Scarlet fever (289), pulmonary tuberculosis (126), poliomyelitis (79) pneumonic influenza (17), erysipelas (39), hydatids (16), puerperal fever (14), and bacillary dysentery (44).

tt j I One Month and m . i , Year. under Twelve T r ° tal ™ de T One Month. : Months Twelve Months. 1930 .. 24-03 10-45 34-48 1931 .. 22-69 9-46 32-15 1932 .. 21-30 9-92 31-22 1933 .. 22-81 8-79 31-64

tt i One Month and „ , , , . OnYsionth. Twete MontL. _J I 1934 .. ! 22-86 9-25 32-11 1935 .. 22-03 10-23 32-26 1936 .. 22-31 8-65 30-96 I

°—»-• «Mi. i!t |l! Sja «-• °-ô Si£ fi| gg<g Diphtheria .. . . .. Whooping-cough .. .. .... .. 1 1 2 Influenza . . .. .. .. .. .. 1 . . 2 3 Syphilis Convulsions . . .. . . .. .. 3 .. . . .. 3 Broncho-pneumonia .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. 4 6 Pneumonia . . . . ■ . . .. .. 1 .. . . .. 1 Diarrhcea and enteritis .. . . .... Congenital malformations . . 24 43 14 8 6 95 Congenital debility .. .. ..7 5 4 1 1 18 Injury at birth . . .. .. 19 39 8 1 . . 67 Premature birth .. .. . . 153 74 15 7 2 251 Other diseases of early infancy .. 21 46 12 2 1 82 Accidental mechanical suffocation .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 Other causes . . .. .. .. j 3 6 9 7 25 Totals, 1936 .. .. 227 219 65 26 17 554 Totals, 1935 .. .. 196 233 54 35 10 528 I