THE PUBLIC HEALTH

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1921, Page 8

THE PUBLIC HEALTH

ENTERIC DIMINISHING. DEATHS FROM CONSUMPTION. The annual report of the Health Department was presented to Parliament last week. It is hoped, says Dr. T. H, A. Valintine, that when, after the struggle of years, the department has been adequately staffed and thus given every opportunity of making its influence felt, the financial necessities of the Dominion will not necessitate any curtailment of its activities. As the matter now stands, we have not been able to obtain the staff necessary .to carry out the various duties imposed upon the department by the Health Act, and in that connection it is especially regrettable that for the reasons mentioned the department has not been able to wholly fulfil its obligations to the local authorities as regards the appointment of sanitary inspectors. It is hoped that local authorities will recognise this.

It is‘also to be regretted that the department has not been able to establish additional health districts at Invercargill. Nelson and Hamilton, with a medical officer of health in charge, as was originally intended. In regard to public health the outstanding features of the year under review were widespread epidemics of influenza, measles and whooping couch and an outbreak of smallpox in the Otago health district.

decrease. If the present rate of propress is maintained, it seems not unreasonable to hope that ere long this disease will cease to figure among the important causes of sickness and death in the Dominion. The position is extremely gratifying, and indicates the hiwh and steadily improving standard of sanitation in New Zealand. Of the 389 cases of enteric notified only 60 were notified from the South Island. This is due to the comparatively few Maoris livin" in the South Island. Enteric is still "epidemic in the Maori districts in the north and east of the North Island, but even there the disease lias been much diminished by means of nurses, who work among the Maoris, and by anti-tvphoid inoculation, which has been fairly extensively carried out among the natives. „ , , As regards the death-rate from tuberculosis—7.2] per 10,000, as against 6.30 1914 —this increase is easily accounted far by. jb® adverse influences of the

war and the disastrous effects of the epidemic of 1918. Mr. T. A. Tlunter. the director of dbntal hygiene, lias, says the report, undoubtedly had a great many obstacles to overcome in connection with the development of his branch, and he is distinctly to be congratulated on the progress made despite considerable opposition from quarters where he might have expected support. However, I feel sure that Mr. Hunter is developing his division on right lines, and that he will in time bring about that improvement in the teeth of children that he so ardently believes is possible.