THE PEOPLE'S HEALTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 107, 26 October 1911, Page 7

THE PEOPLE'S HEALTH.

LOW BIRTH RATE IN' NEW ■ ZEALAXD. POSITION' IX THE BAOKBLOCKS. The report of the Tnspector-General (Dr. Valintine) on public health, hospitals and charitable aid was presented to Parliament by the Minister in charge (Hon. D. Buddo) on Mondiiv. According to the Act (says Dr. Valintine) the report on hospitals and charitable institutions should have been presented in July, but owing to the difficulty in getting some hospital secretaries to furnish their returns—many returns did not come in until September—it was practically impossible to present it. lie suggests the desirability of amending the .' -"t, so as to make it incumbent on hos- ! al secretaries to furnish their returns 1 y a specified date. BIRTIJ RATE. The birth rate of the Dominion, reports Dr. Valintine, was 20.17, as against 27.29 last year, the actual number of births (25,084) being less than in 1909, when 26,524 were registered. Victoria excepted, where the birth rate is 24.55, New Zealand has the lowest birth rate in Australasia.

DEATH RATE. A SLIGHT INCREASE. The death rate was 9.71, slightly higher than the previous year, when it was 9.22. The average age at death of persons of either sex was males 44.47, females 42,25, in both instances being the I highest since 1905. The infantile mor- | tality rate per one thousand births was i 07.7, against 61.6 the previous year, the increase being due to the higher mortality rates in infantile diarrhoea and premature births, j INFECTIOUS DISEASES. I There were 02 from typhoid j fever, only one death from measles, 13 from scarlet fever, 75 from diphtheria, ! and 148 from whooping cough, j PLAGUE. The most serious matter during the | year, says the Inspector-General, was j the occurrence of plague in Auckland, and he emphasises the need for persisti ent effort on the part of the Auckland i local authorities'if they wish to keep I their city free of plague. Spasmodic effort is of little or no avail in fighting ; this, one of the most insidious of all j diseases; nor is spasmodic effort likely ! to keep the rat from the haunts of man. I TUBERCULAR DISEASES. The <death rate from tubercular diseases (7.36 pm 10,000) is the lowest ■ hitherto recorded in the Dominion. The actual number of death.s was 731, against 1 800 in 1909. There ; is, he says, every i rca*m to ( hope, that the steady decrease j in the death from these diseases i will at least be maintained.

ixsra'Trox qf school .CHILDREN. ( , „,It..,is, i li°pi!d tlmt during the coming ypar a scheme for the medical inspection nf school children will be put into | operation. , VACCINATION. j The Inspectyy'lieiuTftl refers to the fact tluit oijr .population is practically j unprotected agaijist. small-pox. He docs not, he says, advise a< repeal of the pre- ! B«nt law. , ; i£ it. he. decided that the law is not to .be more vigorously administered than, hitherto,,, it. would be better ' to repeal it, <an(J ,ii}-'the event of an outI break of -small-pox. provide, by Order-iu-I Council, that. a)| within a cerj tain area be .vaccinate.:!- unless ihey can I show satisfactory '..evidence of recent | vaccination. M , ■ ...■ j NATIVE SERVICE. On this subject Dr. Vrtlintine says that, ; having held for .some years that the i gospel of sanitation . among the natives would be best, carried gut by trained nurses, under . medical supervision, no time was lost, iii .appointing nurses to .visit the native settlements and render ; aid where their services were required, jTn districts, whe.re,there, is a considerable . proportion of- natives, special district J nurses will be appointed. Some of these j appointments, liq've. already been made, laud the nurses', work is giving general , satisfaction. ■

In connection,, with, this branch of the I department!'; thi>. Inspector-General expresses regret -tjiat-*Dv. Pomare lias resigned his position as Health Officer to thn natives, wtyh a view.to entering a wider arena,' antl,pay's. ,t.high tribute to the work he has .done... op behalf of the | native race. • I'IO^PTTALS; The cost of 'maintenance per occupied 1)(M has been ; reduced 1 from £IOO 7s in 1009 to £D(i l!)s!' tlie' deductions being principally effected by the relatively smaller expfcndltilre-; under the items "provisions" and' "fenfgfcry' and 'dispensary There .ifi'-no'cloiibt', says Dr. V'alintine, that; mariV hospital authorities are making dogged efforts to prevent unnecessary expenditure or w.vte in the management of ■ their institutions. TRAIN"ED Nl ; Ks>tS. In referring to 1 tlie'shortage of trained i nurses and midlives!, Di ; . Valintine says that a limited nuhiber of nurses who I have been obtained from the Old Country will on. arttnLl. Do', drafted to vacancies on the pe'rm.uieilt ' staff of the general hospital or take iiu\ v duties assigned lo them. The exigencies of the past i yi'ar had- shown the need for increasing | ihe headquarters' musing stall', many hi™ i ing rerpiired for relieving work and foi | crnei-eney work ill' the event of cpivlemies among the natives. In discussin;; j this (|uesii»n.' lie' points out that, it is. I Hot claimed tint the appointment. oi j nurses will do away with the need for I >»if li.-nl assistance. 'far ' from it: )n| it I n-ill TIMUV that ease.-- of ~a rj v Minesj will receive attention a" .-oon as'pos-ible i a:vi\'!-:s ix tiie i;a('|\|:!.(ick>'. ! I'mler Hie heading of midwives. tlu . fhv-inr remarks 11".aI ;i repnrl from our ' ill' ill' 1 inspectors in the far mirth onlv ! too (dearly showed that -Wt It ]-' wiv: - ! in ilial pin' id the Dominion were most j null ipnil.v cir.-umstanced. not only as regards skilled a--i-taiiee. lint anv assistance whatever ill tlnir tim,. need. |11 therefore, determined after investi|gat:n:;. tn allow the .Mongontii and l!a- ---| wene ho-pitals ■ .to renew maternity jpalmnN. ;;ml his action not with the J eordial approval ot the .hoard. Tlie erccI tion of a Special maternity hospital at i Kav.akawm is also contemplated l).v the | "1 I 1 mils ! !iiaid. "I ly tiie~e means." i he <ays. ";j wi|| not only 1.. 1 pnssihj (l : <'o l - !■; ■ 'r,'. < El" ,b.:wl:eel.- of life t<> si-'ilei 1 - ie jV far ninth, but the]- will I llnve additional' training schools for I midwiws."