PUBLIC HEALTH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8241, 20 September 1906, Page 3

PUBLIC HEALTH.

.ANNUAL REPOBT OF THE DEPaKTMENI. "I desire to say that tUe oreation of th.e Public Health Department by me baa more than justified its existence, and under tbe able guidance of the Ohief Health Officer and biß assistants, has completely chauged for tbe better the public health conditions uudor wftich our colonists live." With these preliminary words, Sir Joseph Ward su'united to the Governor the sixth annual report of the Public Health Department which was laid on the table of tbe House on Tuesday afternoon. Tbe report prepared by Dr. Mason (Chief Health Officer) states that no S3rlou3 epidamio of any kind prevailed during the year, and the general health, from a preventive medicine .point of view, was good. Dr. Mason's euhonie cf medically inspecting school child!en ;s set forth, together 1 witb the statement that of 117,000 children atieudiug the colony's elementary schools, only 27,327 live in the l'onr centres, so that eveu if the children ttiere woie looked after a great number would still go uninspected, i The movement in the direction •of providing open-air treatment for consumptives is, states Dr. Mason, steadily juogressing. Much has been done by several officers of the department to awaken the public to a realisation of the magnitude and power of tbe enemy, and many in authority had taken up the burden. Wellington, Tarenski, Kelson, luvercaigill, and Waimate have already made provision for open air treatment, and many other districts are nt the parting of the ways, lhs indigent con sumpfcive is no a* receiving more attention, and, remarks the Chief Medical Officer—"lhe necessity of having only sympathy to offer to the poor homeless seeker after health is, I am truly thankful to say, getting less and less." Dr. Mason urges the importance of providing light employment for those . pthisis oatients who have sufflcienly recovered to re-enter the workday world. "As it is cow," ho nontiuues, "the man •or woman who leaves a sanatorium, leaves comfort, liberal feeding, and all thst makes for a healthful life to go back to a close, possibly ovor crowded room, poor food, and work indoors. That the disease recurs, that the patient fills and finally dies, is unfortunately sometimes tbe after history of a person who left the institution 'improved.' The wealthy safferer can alter his whole mode of life—give up bis work in the office for work on the farm. Something like this should be practicable for the poor man. I suggested that if private employers would not help, tbe Government might be able to give work on some of the State farms or forest nurseries. Many a poorpoul would be • glad to do wbat work he could f r r the sake of bis food and room to pitoh his shelter, if ho could get the chance. I sincerely trust that some arrangement may be effected, either with the Lands or Forestry Department."

The Chief Medioal Officer recapitulates the maiu points of hie recent exposure of patent medicine frauds, and expresses bis opinion that a law having for its object the suppression of harmful so-called remedies would be good. He points out that the man who has been swindled says nothing, so as to avoid looking foolish. "These people," lie declares, "are people the State should step in and guard. The monetary damage so often great, but not infequenttly that is the least among many injuries done the poor dupe. In the case of such diseases as consumption and cancer, the wily advertiser of a cure steals not only the sufferer's money, but his only chance of reoovery. At a time when removal of the tumour or a sojourn in a sanatorium might have effected a restoration to health, the poor viatlm ia wasting his money and "losing the tide." A satisfactory improvement in the birth-rate is the feature of the vital statistics. The births registered last year totalled 23,682, or 27.22 per thousand, an increase of 4.02 uDon the previous year. The' rate was the highest since 1894. Analysing the proportion of births >to marriages, it is found that, regarded ' annually or decennially, there is a deoided fall in the number of births per marriage. Last year's rate was 3.24. Compared with the rest of Australasia, New Zealand comes third for highest birth-place, the figures being:— West Australia, 30.30 per thousand; Tasmania, 29.32; New Zealand, 27.22; New South Wales, 26.73; Victoria, 24.83; South Australia, 23.82; and Queensland (1904 figures only available), 27.12. There were 1,082 illegitimate births in New Zealand the rate being about the same as for the previous ten years. It is less than that of any of the Australian States, excepting South Australia and West Australia. Deaths numbered 8,061 last year, this being the lowest rate since 1887. The rate per thousand was 9.27, as against 9.57 in the previous year. In this connection New Zealand is m the happy position of having the best record of any Australasian colony or Europeau country. Figures for the four centres are as follows: Auckland 12.15 (including suburban boroughs 10.52), Wellington 10.55 (10.21), Christchurch 10.76(10.89), Dunedin 11.13 (10 12). Infant mortality in the centres was as follows; —Auckland 9.15 deaths per hundred births, Wellington 9.62, Christchurch 8.90, Dunedin G. 71. Dealing with causes of death, the report places tuberole in the first place, 211 deaths out of a total of 646 in the for centres being caused by phthisis or other tubercular disease. Cancer caused 191 deaths a slight increase on the previous year, and 8 per cent, of the total death-rate for the whole colony, yhere weve 139 violent deaths at the chief centres, 109 being classed aB accidental. One homicide, 28 suicides, and 16 deaths by drowning are included in the larger total. Dr. Mason regards the proportion of violent deaths as large. Tho total for the whole colony was 615. Of these, 69 were males and 20 were females, who committed suicide, and 16 females, who met their deaths by accidental drowning.