374
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 18

It is necessary to remark on the absence of any statement of birth- or death-rates for Auckland. There is no means of obtaining correct returns of the population for the years intervening between the census years, as the movements of the people from one locality to another cannot be checked. The estimates given have been calculated on the basis of the number of inhabited houses at the beginning of each year, the numbers having been supplied by the several Town Clerks. The correctness of these depends on the accuracy of the borough officers in fully distinguishing between houses actually occupied and uninhabited dwellings, stores, and shops.

The return of inhabited houses recently supplied from Auckland yielded, on calculation, so large an increase to the population that, having regard to the general reports respecting the large numbers of empty houses in the borough, it was returned for reconsideration. A fresh statement was sent, which gave a reduced number, but was admittedly imperfect. Even this yielded so large an increase on the number estimated in 1886 that it appeared unsafe to use it. There seemed no alternative but again to give the estimated number at the commencement of 1887; but it is deemed that even this number is too high, and consequently no death-rate has been given, as it would probably have been used, and been misleading. If the death-rate had been calculated on the stated population it would have been 10·48 per thousand. That the stated population is too great, and that such death-rate would be too low, is evident from a consideration of the number and rates of births and deaths for the past five years.

BIRTHS and Deaths in Auckland Borough.

                Births.     Proportion per      Deaths.     Proportion per
                            1,000 of the Population.             1,000 of the Population.

1883 .. .. 1,065 .. 39·47 .. 393 .. 14·57
1884 .. .. 1,198 .. 43·25 .. 423 .. 15·27
1885 .. .. 1,343 .. 47·09 .. 480 .. 14·95
1886 .. .. 1,161 .. 34·80 .. 481 .. 14·42
1887 .. .. 1,076 .. (29·92?) .. 377 .. (10·48?)

The large reduction in both the numbers in 1887 and in the rates, calculated on the population as given at the beginning of the year, indicate a reduced population even upon that which obtained in 1886. No birth- and death-rate can, therefore, be given for Auckland for 1887 that could be relied upon as even approximately correct.

The following were the death-rates for the other three boroughs for the past three years:—

                Deaths per 1,000 of the Mean Population.
                1885.    1886.    1887.

Wellington .. .. 14·89 .. 17·02 .. 15·55
Christchurch .. .. 14·87 .. 13·31 .. 13·17
Dunedin .. .. 12·57 .. 12·69 .. 11·65

The higher death-rates are accompanied and partially caused by higher birth-rates, as there is a greater proportionate mortality among infants than among the rest of the community.

Infantile Mortality.—The mortality of infants under 1 year of age was numerically and proportionately much less in 1887 than in 1886. The decrease was in each borough, but the largest proportional decreases were in Auckland and Christchurch.

                Total Births.    Deaths of Children    Proportion of Deaths of Children under 1 Year

Boroughs. 1887. Under 1 Year. of Age to the 100 of Total Births.
1887. 1885. 1886. 1887.
Auckland .. .. 1,076 .. 155 .. 14·45 .. 17·31 .. 14·40
Wellington .. .. 984 .. 159 .. 10·28 .. 17·26 .. 16·16
Christchurch .. 449 .. 55 .. 13·43 .. 15·03 .. 12·25
Dunedin .. .. 644 .. 65 .. 9·62 .. 11·25 .. 10·09

The mortality of children under 5 years of age was also less in 1887 than in 1886; but, as the deaths of children under 1 year are included, the smaller infantile mortality will necessarily affect the whole mortality of children under 5 years of age.

                Total Deaths.    Deaths of Children    Proportion of Deaths of Children under 5 Years

Boroughs. 1887. under 5 Years. of Age to the 100 of Total Deaths of all Ages.
1887. 1885. 1886. 1887.
Auckland .. .. 377 .. 194 .. 51·04 .. 53·85 .. 51·46
Wellington .. .. 429 .. 211 .. 37·17 .. 49·75 .. 49·18
Christchurch .. 210 .. 76 .. 34·80 .. 46·65 .. 36·19
Dunedin .. .. 283 .. 81 .. 29·83 .. 34·80 .. 28·62

It is thus evident that the probabilities of the survival of infants and of all children under 5 years of age are much greater in both Dunedin and Christchurch than in either Wellington or Auckland.

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—These diseases caused 21·09 per cent. of the deaths in 1887 against a similar percentage of 20·63 in 1886 and of 16·50 in 1885. The most fatal of these diseases were the following:—

                1885.    1886.    1887.

Diarrhoeal diseases .. .. .. 107 .. 159 .. 154
Typhoid fever .. .. .. 26 .. 37 .. 38
Whooping-cough.. .. .. .. 45 .. 31 .. 34
Diphtheria .. .. .. 32 .. 20 .. 20

In 1885 and 1886 diphtheria was most fatal in Wellington; but in 1887, 11, or more than half, of the deaths from that cause occurred in Christchurch, Wellington being in the next place with 5 deaths, or one-fourth of the entire number. Of the 38 deaths from typhoid fever, 21, or more than 55 per cent., occurred in Wellington.

DEATHS from Typhoid Fever.

                1885.    1886.    1887.

Auckland .. .. .. .. 9 .. 17 .. 7
Wellington.. .. .. .. 11 .. 13 .. 21
Christchurch .. .. .. 2 .. 2 .. 6
Dunedin .. .. .. 4 .. 5 .. 4

Fewer deaths from typhoid fever occurred in these years in Christchurch than in either of the other boroughs; but, as allowance must be made for the much larger population of Dunedin than of Christchurch, Dunedin may be considered as the most free from this disease.

Constitutional Diseases.—Of the 250 deaths in this class, 113 occurred from phthisis. This number is less than that for either of the two preceding years. In 1885 the deaths in these boroughs from phthisis were 145, and in 1886 132 in number. Cancer caused the large number of 56 deaths in the year, of which 22 occurred in Wellington and 20 in Dunedin.

Local Diseases.—These diseases caused 506 deaths, or 38·95 per cent. of the deaths from all causes. Of these the diseases of the respiratory system were most fatal, having caused 149 deaths, of which bronchitis, pneumonia, and croup were the principal diseases in order of fatality. Of the 105 deaths from bronchitis and pneumonia, 49 were of children under 5 years of age: of these, 25 occurred in Wellington and 15 in Auckland. Of the deaths of persons over 5 years of age from these causes the largest mortality (21) occurred in Auckland. Diseases of the nervous system caused 123 deaths, inflammatory diseases of the brain, apoplexy, and infantile convulsions having been the principal causes of death in this order of diseases in the several boroughs.

Violent Deaths.—There were 59 deaths in this class in 1887 against 71 in 1886. Of these deaths, 49 were deemed to be accidental, of which 7 occurred from drowning. Ten persons committed suicide. Of these cases, 5 were in Dunedin.

This report has been delayed in the expectation of being able to give a fairly-correct estimate of the Auckland population.

Wm. R. E. BROWN,
Registrar-General.

Registrar General’s Office, Wellington, 15th March, 1888.