PUBLIC HEALTH.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1924, Page 4

PUBLIC HEALTH.

DEPARTMENT'S ANNI'AI, 1!EI’OIiT. WELLINGTON. September !>. The report of the Department of Public Health uas presented to tlie House of Representatives tc-ia.v. It expressed iegret that so far the proposals of the Department to the effort that the louneil.s of the large ;entres should appoint whole time medical oflieers has not hern favoured iky v!.o eouncils roiieerried. ami though t!io Department must naturally com hide that the Corporations are satisfied with the present arrangement, the fail remains that the sanitation and general good health work of the larger towns vould he better supervised if the coumils would hut agree to the Department's pioposal as to the appointment of whole time medical oflieers. In the sanitary government of some of our larger : ilies, there i> certainly room for improvement.

So far as the present health -.ii-tri. ts are concerned, the work of the Del ailment has heen to some extent detentrnlised. inasmuch as the medical oflieeis of health have heen given mote direct, lowers of supervision and control over departmental activities, within their districts. The report adds:—Now that the economic outlook is I lighter and the personnel of the Depai tmeiit has keen somewhat strengthened, we rail lock forward with a i-eitaiu de.-ree o’ (<;t!li.leme to im l eased activity and hotter results in the eau-e of | ivtvidive medicine-. Til 15,Til'S \N D DKAT I IS. Dr. 11. AI. Watt. Director of the Division of Public Hygiene, draws attention to icrtam features aflecting the public health, which may he regarded as disquieting, thief of whi I is the very low birth rate. It is very hard to impress on mothers the fait that child hirth is not a disease, hut a normal | hysiologieal | roei-ss. However, mere will h<- said <a> this subject in another | < rtion of this repoii. Tlie high rate of still births and the mortality rate of infants under one month is also a matter tor concern. On the other hand tile (rude death rate ol !>.o:i plates New Zealand in a more favourable light, as does indeed its infant mortality of ITS per llcm-aml births. In this toimeetion all thaul-s me due to the Dluuket Sot iet.v lor its untiring efforts to make th’s infantile mortality rate the lowest in the world. TTRERCT'I.OSIS. 'I he death-rate from t liken uhisis. (l.'dl per !0.000. still shows a tendency to d.-i line. The gradual fall ol this dentli-rate is eeitainly satisfactory. The value of early sanatorium treatment cannot h> too strongly stressed. It is early yet to speak of the results of l’rofessor Dreyer’s va-.ine treatment, which has keen tried at ITikcorn. In regard to puerjeial lever, it is predicted that the regulations gazetted for the conduit of private maternity hospitals should, if reasonably carried out, have a good ell'eel. CANCER. (Timer. the report stales, .-til! elaiies a high death-rate. 8.7.*) to HUM 0 persons living in comparison with S.o'J for the veil r heiore. 'I he DepaiTnieiit is t iiHv alive to the sei ion-mc-s id tinmatter, and is keej ing in il-se tom b with the Imperial tamer Research Fund Committee io London and other research bodies in vaiioe.s parts of the world. The use of radium is ctill in the experimental stage, and just yet di.es mil ju-lify any definite statements a- to its i urative issue. 11l reference to goitre, s; e ini mention is mail • of tin- work ;a-rii-d ■ ol by the school mediial < fiie.-rx and by i rol’e-sor Herons, of Dunedin. The orgwliis‘.*il work ->r li e lie) O' Ol in this (lireeticii him proved ] artii ularly valur.hle. VKNT.RKAI. DISEASES. Venereal di-eases ere far too common. The V.D. (Tines which have I. •i n pined under the eonlrol of the | uhlie lms| itals continue to do good wn-k. li ito In- iegret led that the I lepai t leeut ;il|.| Ihe nie.le ,-l I role.- don lens- m-l mole direct eontrol over tho-i- who lime i-01lt rjift ■-•(I these diseases, who inn ami do at present spread them with impunity. Legislation o.i tlie hues suggested hv the V.D. •tnnimission i- long i verilue, hut i- pro|e. ,| for tin-

deaths exuer axak -i i• Tkirle.-u deaths «>;-• itr:«••! in I!'-’:! in ' nnijari-oo w it'i! iv. i'i:l v-uv.t I'M (In l ] revintis year. I«*; resenting :i :,nt.s.actor»- iltM l I-SlS'.'. 'I l:r majority « w rases in which the exj act:ili.ill of lilt- "nul l linvr 11;*t'li -lu 11. however. Three deaths l ook lln e ami it is evident tli.it lie- ndniini-.lra-linn i.f general auarsl lid i- in mi.'li cast's is iKfoiiraiiii'.l by a icrtaiii ainnlint i f risk. This inailrr lias hern brought miller Ilia notice nl lit" I »i iti-.li Alnliml Association. ():. i iistruitimi frum ilia I■'taicnl. tlic Dominion laboratory lias carricil oat a number nl' aiialy.-cs of .standard anaesthetics nn tlm inarki't. Except in a few i a*-s where there was no sariniis di-feit. la" result showed that th" loci gni-c.l -laml:itils a." In-in:' ohsarvail. A ] rn| . r anaesthetic regisler prepared 'by III" Department lias hocn ii.trntliii cd into the majority nf nnr public ln;s.;iita!s. so that rcliali!" records as In tin- inliniiiist ra--1 ion nf ana"sth"tit-s xho’ild in th" In I me la* ava.ilahl" to t lit* iii"*lii*al staffs anil tin* 1 >"]isii-linfiit.