HEALTH OF TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1917, Page 7

HEALTH OF TARANAKI.

REPORT FOR THE YEAR. The number of eases of diphtheria, Targely of a mild type, reported in the Taranaki hospital district last year, has been greatly in excess of the number for previous years. This excess has been general throughout the Dominion. Infantile paralysis was also greatly in evidence at the beginning of the year. Reporting to the Taranaki Hospital Board yesterday, Mr A. II Kendall, Health Inspector, stated that during the past year ending December 31, 1910, them occurred in the district 24 caies of scarlet fever, 102 cases of diphtheria, eight cases of enteric fever, eight ear.es of tuberculosis, 19 cases of infantile paralysis and one case of hydatids. The following were the number of cases which were treated in the hospital: Scarlet fever, 14; diphtheria, 108; enteric, six; tuberculosis, two; infantile paralysis, 12; hydatids, one. Of the cases notified there wore three deaths from diphtheria, one from tuberculosis, and three irom infantile paralysis. Upwards of 300 premises wore disinfected during the, year.

The ?ascs of scarlet fever occurred as follows: —Five in the Taranaki County; 12 in New Plymouth; one in Waitara; four in the Egmont Comity; and two in the Clifton County. There were 20 cases of diphtheria in the Taranaki County, 143 in New Plymouth, 22 in Waitara, one. in the Egmont County, and six in the Clifton County. Five of the cases of enteric were in New Plymouth, one in Waitara, one in the Egmont County, and one in the Clifton County. The eases of tuberculosis were:—Two in the Taranaki County, ,four in New Plymouth,- one in "Waitara, and one in the Egmont County. 0£ infantile paralysis, three occurred in the Taranaki County., seven in New Plymouth, two in Inglywood, six in the Egmont County, and one in the Clifton County.

SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS. Under 'the Sale of Food and Drugs various parts of the district and forwarded to the Dominion Analyst during the year; 290 loaves of bread were officially weighed and reported upon to Wellington, and 50 pound pats of butter were weighed at various times and places. In addition there were very numerous and varied inspections in the matter of food. Warnings were given in several directions, and there were seven prosecutions during the year, all of which were successful. Four of these were for selling shortweight bread, two for selling milk below the standard required., and p-? for selling watered milk. Two of the prosecutions for short \vcight bread were at Waitara, and the re? mainder in New Plymouth. In .this branch of my duties I was much Indebted to officers of the police and Stock ■Department for assistance received.