verification by inspection of the death entry. At the
Conference Dr. Stevenson, the Statistician to the Registrar-General of
the United Kingdom, was very pronounced in his advocacy of the
confidential form of certificate. The Conference passed the following
resolutions: "(1.) That the present system of open certification tends
to prevent candid statements of the causes of death, and thus introduces
a systematic error into death statistics. (2.) That the error would be
eliminated by a system of confidential certification."

The Committee, while agreeing that such a system of registration of
deaths would undoubtedly afford better means of approximating to correct
returns of mortality not only from venereal diseases but also from
alcoholism and some other diseases, would point out that, if New Zealand
were to adopt the reform while the rest of the Empire retained the
present system, the result would be to place the Dominion in an
apparently unfavourable light in comparison with other parts of the
Empire in regard to the mortality from these diseases.

SECTION 2.--CAUSES OF THE PREVALENCE OF VENEREAL DISEASES IN NEW
ZEALAND.

In discussing this order of reference the Committee desire it clearly
understood that these causes are not peculiar to New Zealand, and do not
operate more extensively in New Zealand than elsewhere. The Committee
are concerned, however, in discussing this question only as it affects
New Zealand.

The causes of the spread of venereal disease may be classified under two
main headings: (1) The presence of infected individuals acting as foci
of infection; (2) the occurrence of promiscuous sexual intercourse, by
which in the great majority of cases the disease is actually transmitted
from one individual to another.

(1.) _The Presence of Infected Individuals._

These sources of infection arise and persist for the following
reasons:--

(1.) Neglect by infected persons to undergo treatment. (2.) Neglect
to continue treatment till no longer infective. (3.) The treatment
of infected individuals by unqualified persons, such as chemists,
herbalists, chiropractors, &c. In these cases the disease becomes
chronic, and the best opportunity for its treatment and cure has
passed before the case is seen by a medical man. (4.) By the
introduction of venereal disease to this country from overseas.

(2.) _The Occurrence of Promiscuous Sexual Intercourse._

A striking portion