THE DEATH RATE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1932, Page 6

THE DEATH RATE

A SMALL DECREASE RECORDED. WELLINGTON, September 23. . In spite of the Hawke’s Bay earthquake, which caused 260 deaths, the death rate last year fell to 8.34 pey 1000 of mean population, a figure which is beatep only: by the record low rates in 1924: and 1925, says the. annual Report of the Health Department presented in the House. The total number of deaths was 12,047, compared with 12,199 in t e previous year, a, ■decrease of.ls2.'v.New Zealand has a ' very low general , death rate hut owing to the steadily reducing birth rates her annual natural increase of population is only 1 per cent. The principal causes of death were itemised as fellows: —Heart disease fell forms) 2817, apoplexy or cerebral haemorrhage 634, diseases of the arteries 420.

The report says the outstanding feature is that the death rate from common infectious diseases appears to show a steady and definite reduction. . The greatest example is typhoid fever. A five-year average taken 50 years ago gave a mortality mere than 40 times that for the five years ending 1901. : The tubemiiosds dewjjfo: pate had ahoyrn n threefold reduction between 1881 and J 1931. Tire report expresses a hope , that the. restoration of the .economic ihamncie will he achieved, in order that ijlie benefiegut influence v oy;cr many ijfenrs of steady improvement in the jhjutrihion and hygienic epyjronmevt , of |the poorer’-peopfia will not he greatly • ; lessened. A noteworthy sign of the times was that dehtbs from suicide had increased from 193 in 1930 to 226 in 1931.