THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4471, 25 September 1922, Page 1

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

GENERAL SURVEY OF PAST YEAR. NOTIFIABLE DISEASES SHOW DECLINE. '"Hie public health fon the past year, as shown in the lowered deathrate, may on the whole be considered satisfactory, apd especially so as regards the incidence of certain of the notifiable diseases,” states the annual report of the Director General of Health. •'Since the Department was established in 1900 1 the crude death-pate for the Domihion has fallen from 10.5 to 8.73 per thousand, while the standardised death-irate, recognised as the international index of mortality, fell, to 10.93., the lowest for the last decade, and also, I. believe, of any Country in the world. Moreover, the infant mortality rate has fallen from 74.9 in 1900 to 47.8 per thousand births, with a corresponding decrease over the same period for the chief centres. "Scarlet fever was prevalent to a greater extent than in the immediately preceding years, but fortunately it was of a mild type; while diphtheria has shown a marked decline since 1917, but with a slight increase for the year past. "The death rate from enteric fever still shows a steady decline, a matter for congratulation, as its prevalence, and that of allied diseases, is recognised as one of the most reliable and accepted indications as to the sanitary condition of a country. Ih comparison with the neighbouring Australian States our death-rate for this disease is strikingly low. However, among our Maori population occasional outbreaks occur of more or less severity, and the Department experienced recently some anxiety in regard to one of such in the Ohau district. It is reasonable to expect that with the increasing preventive and prophylactic measures in the form of antityphoid inoculation and higher standard of sanitation now being enforced by the Maori councils and village committees, we should, in the near future, be able to look fpr a considerable decrease in its existence among the Native population. Towards this end the model by-laws gazetted and now in operation in the Maori districts, and which are proving of great assistance to those responsible, should prove an important factor in limiting the occurrence of this disease. “The tuberculosis death-rate of 6.48 per 10,000 of mean population is the second lowest on record. The campaign against this disease has been, and-still is, one of the most difficult and important problems that faces any Department of Health. “Cerebrb-spinal meningitis shows a

decline; acute poliomyelitis, unfortunately, a substantial increase; Puerperal septicaemia the lowest deathrate from 1917 ; erysipelas an increasing prevalence, while influenza was markedly less common than in former years. There were two cases of leprosy occurring among Chipamen, and *nese were removed to the hospital bn Quail Island, "Of the non-hotiflable diseases we find again cancer most prominent. From this disease 1044 deaths occurred, giving a rate of 8,53 per 10,090 of persons, as against 8.72 for the previous year. Measles and whpbp-ing-cough were much less prevalent. Venereal diseases are far too common. The clinics established in the various centres have done excellent work, and their facilities are now being extended to sailors from oversea ships. Measures considered necessary to prevent the introduction of plague have kept departmental officers very busy. It was very difficult to get local authorities to see the need for certain precautions, but, happily, with few exceptions they rose to the occasion. "An increased epldemiclty of diphtheria during the past few years has been noted in England, the States of Australia, and other countries, as well as in New Zealand. It. has to be acknowledged that the methods customarily adopted in the past to combat this disease have not been effective in staying its progress. Much,, however, is expected of the newer methods of control based on recent American investigation. In the determin.at'on by the Schick test of those susceptible to diphtheria, and the subsequent immunisation of these last with toxin-antitoxin injections, we have a procedure which, judiciously used, should be a valuable .weapon in the campaign against the disease. The procedure, it should be stated, has already been adopted in New Zealand in the case of certain institutional and one school outbreak, with most encouraging results. It is hoped in the coming year to make an extended trial of the method. At the close of the year there were on Quail Island a total of eight leprosy patients, all adult males. Of these the nationality was as follows: Three whites (none New Zealand-born), two Maoris, one half-caste Samoan, and two Chinese. "Recent important advances have been made in the treatment of leprosy, whereby, it is stated, a substantial percentage of apparent cures has been effected. The Americans particularly claim good results from the use of the ethyl esters prepared from the fatty acids of chaulmoogra oil. Through the courtesy of the ConsulGeneral for the United States of America a supply of this preparation was obtained from Honolulu, where the original work has been carried out, and a commencement has been made of* its use.”