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30
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
The number of women who died from conditions arising during or consequent
upon child birth was 3 and the maternal mortality rate 2 per 1,000 as against 4
per 1,000 for the country as a whole. Of the deaths all occurred on the same day
as the birth of the child. In one case the confinement took place at home, one at
a nursing home, and one at a hospital. The causes of death were (1) Embolism
(puerperal); (2) Double pyelitis and cystitis 6 years, fatty heart and kidneys 4 years
or more and heart failure following Cæsarean Section 2 hours; and (3) Eclampsia
(puerperal) 29 hours. All were attended by a medical practitioner. The ages of
the patients were 23, 29 and 41 respectively and all were married. In two cases
the children survived, the other being stillborn.
DEATHS IN RELATION TO DISEASE.
A list of the causes of deaths, with the ages at which they occurred, will be
found in Table III. of the Ministry of Health series on page 65. This Table
also shows the distribution of deaths according to causes in the various registration
sub-districts.
The following notes with regard to certain of the causes which contributed most
largely to the death rate, may be of interest.
DIARRHŒAL DISEASES.
The total number of deaths registered as due to diarrhoea and enteritis
(inflammation of the bowels), was 15, equal to 0.13 per 1,000 of the population.
As a general rule, the majority of deaths from this cause occur among infants,
and in 1927, as a matter of fact, all whose who died, with the exception of 3, were
less than 1 year of age.
In 1926 the deaths from diarrhæal diseases numbered 16, all the victims being
under one year of age with the exception of 1. In 1927, therefore, there was a
decrease in the total, 12 being under 1 year of age.
INFECTIOUS (COMMUNICABLE) DISEASES.
The number of deaths due to each of the diseases included in this group is
referred to when dealing specifically with the diseases under the heading "Prevalence
of and Control over Infectious Diseases." Excluding influenza (which
caused 42 deaths), the diseases contributing to the total of 48 deaths were—
diphtheria, 12; scarlet fever, 1; whooping cough, 11; measles, 9; and, as already
noted, diarrhœa, 15.
PHTHISIS AND OTHER TUBERCULOUS DISEASES.
The total deaths due to the diseases dealt with under this heading, viz..
phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis or consumption of the lungs), tuberculous
meningitis, general tuberculosis, tabes mesenterica, and all conditions due to the
germ of consumption, numbered 94 which is lower by 15 than the figure 109 for
1926.
The great bulk of the 94 deaths, viz., 76, was due to phthisis.
Of the total number of deaths registered (1,262), the percentage due to
phthisis was 6.0 as against 6.9 in 1926. The age periods at which the deaths
occurred were: 15—25, 13 (17.0 percent.); 25—45, 24 (31.5 per cent.); 45—65,
28 (37.0 per cent.); 65—75, 9 (12.0 per cent.); 75 and over, 2 (2.5 per cent.).
The subject of phthisis is further discussed in connection with the notification
and prevention of tuberculosis.
The following table gives the mortality figures for each of the years from 1919.
It will be noted that though there have been occasional rises the tendency has all
the time been downwards. The reason for this will be discussed later.