H.—3l.

(d) Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Infectious Diseases amongst Maoris. Table 1) attached gives the numbers of notifications of infectious disease received for members of the Maori race. The figures are not included in the European figures, as a large number of cases amongst Maoris are missed, due to the fact that a large proportion of Maoris fail to obtain medical assistance when they become ill. The position is rapidly improving with the development of the district nursing service. Of the 497 notifications received, 212, or 43 per cent, of the total, were of pulmonary tuberculosis, a disease to which the Maori is very susceptible. The next disease in order of importance of the number notified is typhoid fever, of which there were 132 cases. Poliomyelitis cases numbered 51, only 5 of which were aparalytic. The only other diseases reaching double figures were diphtheria (19), puerperal fever (14), influenza (13), and bacillary dysentery (11). Sale op Food and Drugs Act. It had been hoped to revise and consolidate the regulations under this Act during the year, but, unfortunately, insufficient time could be found in which to undertake this work, which will need attention in the near future. The administration of the Act, the inspection and taking of samples and prosecution of offenders proceeded as in previous years, and the attached tables give some idea of the amount of work performed. Milk, of course, from the very nature of the source of supply alone, requires more consistent sampling than any other food, and of the 9,361 samples of milk taken for analysis during the year ended 31st December, 1937, 4-8 per cent, failed to comply with the regulations. Many of these were border-line cases, but in about half (or 2-3 per cent, of the total samples) warnings of non-compliance were sent to the vendors. One hundred and eleven samples (1-2 per cent, of total taken) were found to be so much below standard as to cause a prosecution of the vendor to be recommended by the Medical Officer of Health concerned. A careful check is maintained by means of sampling on the quality of the milk supplied for the milk-in-schools scheme. Apart from milk, the usual wide variety of foodstuffs and drugs was examined during the year, and of 891 samples taken 6-4 per cent, did not conform to the standards prescribed in the regulations. In the great majority of these cases the departure from the standard was only slight, with a result that in respect of 5-2 per cent, of the samples warnings of non-complianoe were issued ; in only three cases was a prosecution recommended. During the year a survey was made into the process of manufacture and retailing of ice-cream and similar frozen products, and as a result it can be said that a considerable advance has been made towards securing the hygienic conditions in which such products should be manufactured and offered for sale. The arrangement with the Customs Department whereby this Department is notified of the importation of goods not complying with the regulations in regard to labelling or other particulars continues to be of assistance to all concerned, including the importer or owner, who may be saved the cost of distribution of articles which might otherwise later be found unsaleable. The only new regulation issued during the year concerned the adoption for the purposes of the Act of the additional standard for drugs set out in the Addendum, 1936, to the British Pharmacopoeia. Practically all the drugs which are subjects of monographs in the British Pharmacopoeia, 1932, and the British Pharmaceutical Codex, 1934, must comply with these specifications in New Zealand. Poisons Act, 1934. The Poisons (General) Regulations 1937, under this Act, were enacted in July, 1937, and came into force on the following Ist September. The issue early in 1936 of the draft regulations drew forth considerable comment from interested members of the public, and much thought was involved before the regulations were cast in their final form. These are the main regulations under the Act and are very comprehensive in their scope, amplifying a number of provisions of the Act and dealing generally with the labelling, packing and storage of poisons, the restriction and recording of sales, and importation sund transport of poisons in New Zealand.

13

Deaths. Year. Number of Notifications. Number Rates per 10,000 of iMumoer. Mean Population. 1933 .. .. .. 890 476 3-24 1934 .. .. .. 824 491 3-32 1935 .. .. .. 808 471 3-17 1936 .. .. .. 934 540 3-62 1937 .. .. .. 915 494 3-28