H—3l

Table IV.—Number of Persons seen for the First Time and found to be suffering from Gonorrhœa

It will be noted that in the cases of both diseases, while the incidence of infection among women has remained low, there has been a considerable increase in the number of men seeking treatment. It is not clear how far this represents a real increase, and how far it can be accounted for by the discharge of men from the Services. During the war a, large proportion of men between the ages of eighteen and forty were in the Army, Navy, or Air Force and under similar circumstances would be treated in Service hospitals. The tables at the end of this section of the report give details of the cases of notifiable diseases reported in 1946. Food and Drugs Food and Drugs Regulations. —During the year a new set of regulations under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act were gazetted. The existing regulations dated from 1924 and were badly in need of consolidation and revision. Some of the chief alterations in the new regulations were as follows : (i) The list of artificial colours permitted in foods has been completely revised so as to exclude a number of dyes that are now known to have toxic properties. (ii) The sale of artificial or imitation foodstuffs is prohibited, unless specifically permitted. (iii) The addition of synthetic vitamin preparation to foods is forbidden. (iv) If claims are made as to the presence of vitamins or minerals in foods, the amounts present must be stated in the label. (v) Standards have been introduced for table confections, milk-bread, arrowroot, suet, milk-shakes, rennet, milk-ices, lemon cheese, liqueurs, fish-liver oils, rose-hip syrup, penicillin, proprietary medicines, and dusting-powders. (vi) The provisions regarding disinfectants have been revised so that only those substances having a defined standard of disinfecting powers may be sold as disinfectants. (vii) The labelling provisions of the large class of non-alcoholic beverages have been revised to ensure that the customer may be able to know exactly what he is buying. Dusting-powders. —All baby-powders containing any natural mineral ingredient such as talc or kaolin must be made from purified talc B.P.C. or from talc or kaolin that has been sterilized by heating to 150° c. for not less than one hour. Fish-liver Oils. —As the manufacture of fish-liver oils is now an important New Zealand industry, a standard for fish oils has been adopted. The addition of calciferol is permitted, and the amounts of vitamin A and vitamin D present in the oil must be stated on the label. Imported halibut-liver oil is required to contain not less than 2,500 International Units of vitamin D per gram.

9

Year. Auckland. Wellington. Christchurch. Dunedin. Total. Grand Totals. M. F. M. F. M. 1 F - M. F. M. E„ 1941 410 183 373 42 271 72 81 79 1,135 376 1,511 1942 312 286 236 63 181 69 75 73 804 491 1,295 1943 265 441 138 89 122 92 51 15 576 637 1,213 1944 215 470 140 59 139 86 50 22 544 637 1,181 1945 389 4r3 178 54 149 66 46 9 762 542 1,304 1946 639 329 235 42 168 31 115 13 1,157 415 1,572