n appeal to
members for their collaboration was made. Suitable circular letters were
also prepared by the Committee asking medical practitioners for their
co-operation, and the Committee are pleased to be able to report that
out of about 750 in actual practice, no fewer than 635 medical
practitioners sent in completed returns. A copy of the form used for
these returns will be found as an appendix to this report, as also a
tabulated return of the replies received and compilations therefrom.

It will be seen that the total number of cases of all forms of venereal
diseases and of diseases attributable to venereal disease under the
personal care of the doctors reporting is 3,031; and, taking the
population of New Zealand as 1,296,986 (estimated population 31st March,
1922), this means that about one person in every 428 of our population
is at present being treated for venereal infection or for the results
thereof. Acute and chronic gonorrhoeal infections give a total of 1,598,
being about one person in every 812 of the population. This is most
likely a very low estimate, for the Committee have had it very
definitely in evidence that many persons suffering, at least from acute
gonorrhoea, seek treatment at the hands of persons other than registered
medical practitioners. For syphilitic infections in all forms the total
is 1,419, about one person in every 914 of the population. The return
bears out other evidence showing that the chancroid or soft-sore type of
infection is rare in this Dominion.

The Committee regard the result obtained as furnishing some indication
of the amount of active venereal disease existing in the Dominion. The
Committee consider, however, that these figures must be considerably on
the low side, for these reasons: (_a_) that a number of medical
practitioners have not replied: (_b_) that some diseases attributable to
venereal disease may not have been conclusively diagnosed as such, and,
therefore, not included in the return. The return necessarily does not
include cases, probably numerous, which have not been under medical care
for some time, if at all; (_c_) to secure a complete return would have
involved the keeping by each doctor of full records of all cases and a
careful and laborious collation of figures.

With respect to the expression of opinion asked of medical practitioners
upon the question "If venereal disease in this Dominion has or has not
increased in a greater proportion than the popu