H.—3l.

Tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (All Forms) in New Zealand, 1917-26.

Of the total of 727 deaths in 1926, 592 were assigned to pulmonary tuberculosis and the remaining 135 to other forms of this disease. South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand have a very much lower death-rate from this disease than most other countries. Pulmonary Tuberculosis. —Pulmonary tuberculosis is the only variety of the disease which is compulsorily notifiable, and, although the death-rate is reducing, notifications have increased for several years past, due, it is believed, not to an actual increase in incidence but to freer notification by medical practitioners. This is a satisfactory feature, since it leads to control of cases and the prevention of the spread of this disease. It cannot yet be said, however, that all cases of pulmonary tuberculosis are notified. The number of notifications for 1926 was 1,318, and for the preceding year 1,247. Distribution of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in New Zealand. —It is of interest to record that the death-rate from pulmonary tuberculosis is higher in the South Island than in the North Island. This apparently has always been the case, due perhaps to climatic differences. The following table makes this clear : — Death-rate from Pulmonary Tuberculosis per 10,000 Population. Year. North Island. South Island. 1917 .. .. .. .. .. .. 4-82 6-06 1918 .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-40 6-29 1919 .. .. .. .. .. .. 4-63 5-48 1920 .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-31 5-93 1921 .. .. .. .. .. .. 4-92 5-11 1922 .. .. .. .. .. .. 4-62 4-98 1923 .. .. .. .. .. .. 4-78 5-00 1924 .. .. .. .. .. .. 4-39 4-48 1925 .. .. .. .. .. .. 4-00 4-58 1926 .. .. .. .. .. ..4-3 4-5 The same is true, moreover, regarding other pulmonary diseases. The death-rate in the two Islands from pneumonia, broncho-pneumonia, and bronchitis combined is given in the following table :— Death-rate per 10,000 Population in the North and South Islands of New Zealand from Pneumonia Broncho-pneumonia, and Bronchitis combined, Pulmonary Tuberculosis having been excluded. Year. North Island. South Island. 1917 .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-32 5-85 1918 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8-00 9-48 1919 .. .. .. .. .. .. 7-24 6-78 1920 .. .. .. .. .. .. 9-92 9-87 1921 .. .. .. .. .. .. 7-10 8-02 1922 .. .. .. .. .. .. 6-84 8-31 1923 .. .. .. .. .. .. 6-78 9-97 1924 .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-14 6-43 1925 .. .. .. .. .. .. 5-99 6-56 1926 .. .. .. .. .. ..5-9 7-3

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Number of Deaths -pi > • Percentage of ■tr t Tuberculosis per rn <. 1 j.u c Year. i from Total Deaths irom . I 10,000 of Mean „ „ Tuberculosis. I f> i .• all Causes. -Population. 1917 .. .. .. .. 755 6-87 7-17 1918 .. .. .. .. 832 7-54 5-08 1919 .. .. .. .. 762 6-71 7-05 1920 .. .. .. .. 851 7-21 7-03 1921 .. .. .. .. 793 6-48 7-42 1922 .. .. .. .. 821 6-56 7-48 1923 .. .. .. .. 792 6-21 6-88 1924 .. .. .. .. 736 5-67 6-84 1925 .. .. .. .. 684 5-14 6-20 1926 .. .. .. .. 727 5-37 6-15