CAUSES OF DEATH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 15 July 1929, Page 8

CAUSES OF DEATH

PAST YEAR'S FIGURES REVIEWED BY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HYGIENE i , . The Director of Public Hygiene, Department of Health (Dr. T. McKibbin) in, reply to inquiries, gave tho Wellington •'Post" an interesting statement in regard to health conditions in the Dominion during the past year. The births of. .27,000 living children were registered in the Dominion during 1928, as against '. ; J,681 in 1927. The birth rate for 1928 was thus 19.56 per 1000 of mean population. The birthrate steadily declines,There were 27,200 births for a population of 1,390,684, arid there were IL,BII deaths, v the .difference; or natural increase, being 15.389, or 1.1 "per cent, only of the total population. In 1870 the natural increase was 3.1 per cent. The. total number of deaths registered during the year 1928, as compared with 1927, shows an increase of 198. There was a reduction in the rate of still-births during the year.

Principal Causes of Death.—The main causes of death in order of magnitude Avere as follows: —Heart disease (all forms), 2315; cancer, 1374; chest diseases (pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, bronchitis), 1027; violence', 956; tuberculosis (all forms), 699; apoplexy or cerebral haemorrhage, 643;, senility 544; kidney or Bright's disease, 455; disease of the arteries, 394; diabetes, 167; peases and accidents of childbirth (maternal mortality), 134; diari'hoea' and enteritis, 110; appendicitis, 107;:, hernia and intestinal obstruction, 100-.. epilepsy. 60. Common Infectious Diseases.—lnfluenza (all '"forms, including'pneumonia), 242 V. diphtheria, 72; scarlet fever, 55; Whooping cough, 26; typhoid fever, 16; liifiasles, 12. Infant Mortality.—lnfant deaths (under one year), all causes, 984. ■ Commenting on the above figures, Dr. i.Maiv.ibbin says: "The first six causes in, the above list account for (ffjlA deaths or, approximately two-thirds of the total. Obviously with some of them—e.g., tuberculosis, the common chest diseases, some forms. of. heart disease and apoplexy—habits qf life and environment are important factors. The correction of faulty habits, where applicable, and the improvement of the environment of an unfortunate or careless minority of .the public would reduce these deaths, and .the numbers are such as to offer a margin of gain worth the effort. It is only by the active co-operation of ths public, the local' authorities, the medical and nursing professions, and the .■Department of Health in definite disease prevention in the home, school, and work-place environment of the people, that great reduction in our deathrate will be made, said Dr. McKibbjii.