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MATERNAL MORTALITY.
The number of women who died from conditions arising during or consequent
upon child birth was 5, and the maternal mortality rate 4 per 1,000 as against 7
per 1,000 in the previous year.
The main facts with regard to the cases are In two cases the women died
undelivered, in one the child was macerated, and in another death occurred 11
days after the normal confinement of a stillborn child. One of the women died of
pneumonia, an inquest being held when it was fpund that there had been a miscarriage.
All the deaths occurred in hospital; the ages of the patients being 22,
22, 26, 29 and 35 respectively. Two were married and 3 were single.
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 22, equal to 0.21 per 1,000 of the population.
As a general rule, the majority of deaths from this cause occur among infants,
and in 1929, as a matter of fact, all those who died, with the exception of 6, were
less than 1 year of age.
In 1928 the deaths from diarrhoeal diseases numbered 22 also, all the victims
being under one year of age, with the exception of 5.
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 59 deaths), the diseases contributing to the total of 52 deaths were—
diphtheria, 2; scarlet fever, 1; whooping cough, 23; measles, 4; and as already
noted, diarrhoea, 22.
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 98, which is higher by 6 than the figure 92 for
1928.
The great bulk of the 98 deaths, viz., 89, was due to phthisis.
Of the total number of deaths registered (1,155), the percentage due to
phthisis was 6.0 as against 7.0 in 1928. The age periods at which the deaths
occurred were 1—2, 1 (1.1 per cent.); 2—5, 1 (1.1 per cent.); 5—15, 3 (3.4 per
cent.); 15—25, 20 (22.5 per cent.); 25—45, 21 (23.6 per cent.); 45—65, 36 (40.4
per cent.); 65—75, 4 (4.5 per cent.); 75 and upwards, 3 (3.4 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.