68

By glancing the eye over the four right hand columns of the above table, it will be seen that the chief saving of life in New Zealand occurred in the comparative low mortality from diseases of the lungs, and fevers, a result which I cannot pass over without remark.

The cause why fevers are not common in New Zealand is, that the troops are not mixed up with the inhabitants of densely inhabited towns as in Great Britain, and because either from the nature of the soil, or the elements of the climate, there are no cases of ague.

The comparative exemption of the troops from typhus and common continued fevers, is another proof added to the many which already exist, that these maladies result chiefly from the improper crowding together of human beings. The climate of New Zealand may be thought to have something to do with this, but I do not think it has, for this reason, that I have seen cases of typhus, and common fevers among the civil population, and this disease was at one time very prevalent among the badly ventilated and badly drained houses in the town of Auckland; and, scarlet fever, a malady which is generated by malaria, appeared for the first time in New Zealand, at Auckland in 1848, but it did not extend itself among the Native population.

As diseases of the lungs in New Zealand produce less than one-half the mortality which they did among infantry soldiers in the United Kingdom; I shall therefore enter into a more minute examination of this class of maladies.

Table number 2, shewing the specific diseases of the lungs which occurred among the troops in New Zealand during the three years ending March 1853, and the proportion which each bears to what occurred among infantry soldiers in the United Kingdom for the ten years subsequent to 1857:

| Specific diseases of Lungs. | Total attacked among the troops during the 3 years in New Zealand. | Number of men attacked annually with different diseases of the lungs out of 1000 troops stationed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | Total | Deaths | New Zealand. | United Kingdom. |
| Inflammation of Lungs | 18 | 4 | 14 | 114 |
| Pleurisy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Spitting blood | 4 | 0 | 14 | 32 |
| Consumption | 19 | 10 | 47 | 103 |
| Acute Catarrh | 107 | 0 | 40 | 122 |
| Chronic Catarrh | 33 | 1 | 13 | 21 |
| Asthma and difficulty of breathing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 235 | 16 | 883 | 171 |

From this table it will be seen, that the low mortality among the troops in New Zealand arises from the few attacks of inflammation of the lungs, and catarrhs, diseases which lead directly and indirectly to the production of consumption. It will also be seen that the numbers admitted into hospital under the head of consumption are fewer than in Great Britain, and men affected with this malady live longer than I have ever seen similar cases in Great Britain, and the disease is occasionally apparently checked. The following is an indirect numerical proof of this. Out of 1657 cases of consumption admitted into the hospitals of the infantry regiments stationed in the United Kingdom 1241 died, or 74 per cent.; out of 19 cases admitted among the troops in New Zealand (see table No. 2) 10 died or 52 per cent.

I could detail several cases of consumption I have seen, which appeared to me to be checked, I do not say cured, in this country, but to remove any impression that I have unintentionally looked at such cases with a partial eye, and pre-judiced mind, I make the following extract from the Medical report of Surgeon Prendergast of the 65th Regiment for the year ending March 1853:

“Of this disease” (consumption he observes) “only three cases have been treated at head quarters” (Wellington, New Zealand,) “during the past year, and none of these proved fatal. In each of these cases it, was astonishing to see how well suited the climate of this island is in arresting and keeping in abeyance the rapid progress of this disease, and the little tendency there is to excite or aid the development of Pulmonary affection.”

Before leaving this subject, it is necessary to bear in mind, that soldiers suffer more from consumption than civilians, a result which they are obliged to ascribe to the life in the barrack-rooms; I adduce the following examples as a proof of the correctness of this statement.

During the three years ending March 1853 there has been an aggregate strength of 458 married women attached to the military in New Zealand. Most of them lived in small places detached or away from the barracks with their husbands. Out of this number only one died from pectoral disease, which is at the rate of 2.2 deaths annually out of a 1000, or nearly one-half less than what occurred among the soldiers.

During the three years ending March 1853 there was an aggregate strength of 160 officers between the ages of 20 and 40 in New Zealand, and not one died from any disease of the lungs.

Since 1836, seventeen Missionaries and their families have been resident in the North Island of New Zealand, and among the few deaths which have occurred among them, I cannot find that one was caused by consumption.

Since the establishment of the Registration of deaths in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1845, I have been able to make out, that about one-fourth of the mortality was produced by pectoral disease among civilians between the ages of 20 and 40, whereas among the soldiers, one-half of the whole mortality arose from this class of maladies.

3.—Notice of the Epidemic Influenza.

During the latter part of the year 1852, and the beginning of 1853 an Epidemic Influenza of singular severity prevailed all over New Zealand. On referring to table No. I it will be seen that 45 soldiers were admitted into hospital with this disease, but many more were ill who managed to do their duty. On the old and the young it bore most heavily, and several of both classes died. This remark refers to the Anglo-Saxon, and New Zealand races. There was nothing very peculiar about the elements of the climate when the disease prevailed, if I except an unequal distribution of electricity, and a large amount of rain and moisture in the air. Epidemic Influenza was prevalent in every part of the Southern Hemisphere. I have heard from, during the years 1852 and 1853,

4.—Elements of the Climate during the three years ending March 1853 at Auckland, New Zealand, S. Lat., 36° 51' at Wellington, New Zealand, S. Lat., 41° 16'; and the average at London, N. Lat., 51° 30.

The mean annual temperature:

• at Auckland was 59° Fahr.
• at Wellington was 57° do.
• at London is 50° do.