102

were cleaned out to-day and it rained to-morrow it would
be full again." * Also, "I find
the present supply of water is generally bad in
the lower part of the town; bad from percolation
from the privy."

• • • • • Also,
          "ashes and kitchen refuse, rags, old shoes, &c., &c.,
          are left in backyards to rot and stink; in many
          places the rubbish is never carried away."
          Also, "there is offensive stagnant water in the water-
          course passing through the premises of Messrs. Rout,
          and Miller and Harley along Hardy-street: Also a
          great nuisance is created by the water coming down
          Vanguard-street and remaining in a stagnant pool
          at the back of the 'Postboy.'"—[See Mr. Watt's
          evidence, Appendix I.]

Mr. MACKAY, of Drumduan, observes, "When I
visit Nelson I am nearly poisoned from the effluvia
which meets my nose in certain parts of some of its
leading streets."—[See Mr. Mackay's letter,
Appendix III.]

Some of the members of the Commission have
visited the end of the sewer and the course of the
ditch across the mud flat, which carries off its dis-
charge, and have found scarcely any offensive smell
perceptible, beyond that of ordinary black swamp-
mud; and they are also of opinion that the smells
spoken of by some of the witnesses as perceptible
along the Haven road arise from mud at low water,
from dead animals, from offal, rubbish, &c., &c.,
thrown over the wall of the road, and from the refuse
at the fellmonger's establishment on the mud flat, but
not from excrementitious deposit from the sewer.

Turning from opinion to figures, we have compiled
the following statements. In the subjoined table the
population of Nelson for each of the years 1864, 1865,
and 1866, is calculated for the 31st March, of each of
those years, starting from that given by the census
for 1864, and correcting for the difference in births
and deaths during the intervening time:—

MORTALITY IN EUROPE.

COMPARATIVE STATISTICS.*

MORTALITY IN THE DIFFERENT PROVINCES OF NEW
ZEALAND, CALCULATED FROM THE STATISTICS OF
NEW ZEALAND, FOR 1865.

(It is to be observed that in this year Nelson was
visited by scarlet fever. The deaths from this
visitation amounted to all to 19.)

• See also table on next page.

In estimating the value of these figures it is to be
remembered that average rates deduced from so small
a population are much less trustworthy than those
deduced from such a population as that of London
or Liverpool; that, for instance, the mere accident, so
to speak, of two or three cases of indiscreet exposure,
or over exertion or excess bringing on acute and fatal
inflammation; or again, if infectious disease being
brought into any country place and causing three or
four deaths would completely alter the whole death-
rate—perhaps reverse the comparison drawn. Thus
in the year 1864 the zymotic death-rate for the
Waimeas and Suburban Districts is 2·19 per 1000, as
against 1·59 for Nelson,—on referring to the column
for the number of deaths we find only eight deaths
from zymotic disease, as against seven in Nelson City.
On referring to the Registrar's books we find that
the occurrence of six deaths from diphtheria (out of
the eight that year in the country district) sufficed to
give so comparatively large a ratio.

Besides the total death-rate for each year, the
death-rate corrected for accidental and judicial deaths
has been shown, because the number of these deaths
in the colony is out of all proportion greater than in
old countries. Thus in Nelson in the year 1861, 21·66
tenth of the whole number of deaths was due to
these causes. On the other hand it is to be remem-
bered that the mortality of the Province was more than
half as much again as that of the neighboring
Province of Marlborough, while that of Nelson City
was nearly treble, or taking the mortality of Nelson
City for the following year (in which scarlet fever had
disappeared) it is nearly double.

Again we observe that the total death-rate of the
City is from once and one-fourth to two-an-a-half as
great as that of the adjacent country; and the death-
rate for zymotic diseases only was very much larger
in 1865 and 1866, but in 1864 one-fourth smaller,
than that of the adjacent country.

After mature consideration of all these opinions
and facts, we hold that there is nothing in the pre-
sent state of the health of Nelson to justify immediate
alarm; yet that, looking to the extraordinarily salu-
brious climate of New Zealand, to the small propor-
tion of old people in its population,—to the absence,
or almost entire absence of extreme poverty, of over-
crowding, or of haunts of crime and prodigality,—and
looking to its rank in health statistics as compared to
the other provinces of New Zealand, and even to that
of old countries, the health of Nelson is not so good
as it should be; that by proper precautions and
regulations, it should be brought up to be more
nearly on a par with the country districts, and cer-
tainly to equal the very healthiest districts of London,
which are stated to be as low as 12 per 1000.

• In 1865 New Plymouth was still a crowded garrison town.