FEB. 21.]
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
229

Birth- and Death-rates. The number and rates of births were less than in 1887. In that year there were 3,153
births in the four boroughs, in 1888 only 2,951-a difference of 202. The birth-rate in Wellington fell from 35.66 to
34.51 per 1,000 of population; that of Christchurch, from 28.15 to 23.99; and that of Dunedin, from 26.52 to 22.89.
As a birth-rate could not be given for Auckland for 1887, the data as to population in that year not being sufficiently
accurate, no comparison can be made between the birth-rates for the two years; but in 1888 the rate was 5.86 per
1,000 less than that for Wellington.

The death-rate was higher in Wellington than in either of the other boroughs. To some slight extent this was
due to a higher birth-rate, as a considerable percentage of children born die under twelve months of age; thus, an
increase in the number of births involves an increase in the number of deaths. This cause is, however, insufficient
in itself to account for the high death-rate in Wellington. In Auckland, with a mean population of 35,639,
there were 1,021 births and 374 deaths; in Wellington, with a population of 28,655, there were 989 births and 376
deaths. Thus, with a smaller population and fewer births, there were more deaths in Wellington.

The deaths in all the boroughs numbered 1,299 in 1887, and 1,209 in 1888, a decrease of 90; but while deaths of
infants under 1 year were less numerous by 123 in 1888, and of those from 1 to 5 years by 25, those of persons over 5
years of age were more numerous in 1888 by 58.

The following were the several death-rates for the past four years:--

Deaths per 1,000 of the Mean Population.
Auckland .. .. .. 1885. 14.95 .. .. 1886. 14.42 .. .. 1887. 15.55 .. .. 1888. 10.49
Wellington .. .. 14.89 .. .. 17.02 .. .. 13.17 .. .. 13.12
Christchurch .. .. 14.87 .. .. 13.31 .. .. 13.17 .. .. 11.36
Dunedin .. .. 12.57 .. .. 12.69 .. .. 11.65 .. .. 11.40

Infantile Mortality. There was a marked decrease in the rate of infantile mortality in 1888 in three out of the
four boroughs, the exception being in Christchurch :--

Boroughs. Total Births.. Deaths of Children Proportion of Deaths of Children under 1 Year
1888. under 1 Year. of Age to the 100 of Total Births.
Auckland .. 1,021 .. 116 .. 1886. 17.31 .. 1887. 14.40 .. 1888. 11.36
Wellington .. 989 .. 103 .. 17.26 .. 16.16 .. 10.41
Christchurch .. 393 .. 52 .. 15.03 .. 12.25 .. 13.23
Dunedin .. 548 .. 40 .. 11.25 .. 10.09 .. 7.30

The mortality of children under 5 years of age was, in proportion to the total number of deaths, much less in
each of the boroughs in 1888 than in 1887, but, as in previous years, the proportions were less in Christchurch and
Dunedin than in the other two boroughs:---

Boroughs. Total Deaths. Deaths of Children Proportion of Deaths of Children under 5 Years
1888. under 5 Years. of Age to the 100 Deaths at all Ages.
Auckland .. 374 .. 160 .. 1886. 53.85 .. 1887. 51.46 .. 1888. 42.78
Wellington .. 376 .. 135 .. 49.75 .. 49.18 .. 35.90
Christchurch .. 186 .. 64 .. 46.65 .. 36.19 .. 34.41
Dunedin .. 273 .. 55 .. 34.80 .. 28.62 .. 20.15

The decrease in the proportion of these deaths in Dunedin is very great. It will be observed that there was also
in Dunedin a remarkable decrease in the mortality of infants under 1 year of age.

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases. These diseases caused 179 deaths in 1888, against 274 in 1887. The most
fatal in this class were the following:----

Diarrhœal .. .. .. 1886, 159 .. .. 1887. 154 .. .. 1888. 72
Typhoid Fever .. .. 37 .. .. 38 .. .. 40
Whooping-cough .. .. 31 .. .. 34 .. .. 14
Diphtheria .. .. 20 .. .. 20 .. .. 24

12 out of the 24 deaths from diphtheria occurred in Wellington. Of 96 deaths in the four boroughs from
diphtheria in the 4 years 1885-88 inclusive, 45 occurred in the Borough of Wellington.

The number of deaths in 1888 from typhoid fever was greatest in Auckland, 18, and next greatest in Wellington, 10;
but the number of deaths from this cause for the past 4 years was greatest in Wellington.

DEATHS from Typhoid Fever.
Auckland .. .. .. 1885. 9 .. .. 1886. 17 .. .. 1887. 7 .. .. 1888. 19 .. .. Totals. 52
Wellington.. .. .. 11 .. .. 13 .. .. 21 .. .. 10 .. .. 55
Christchurch .. .. 2 .. .. 2 .. .. 6 .. .. 4 .. .. 14
Dunedin .. .. 4 .. .. 5 .. .. 4 .. .. 7 .. .. 20

Constitutional Diseases. The deaths in this class numbered 247, of which 116 occurred from phthisis, viz., 38 in
Dunedin, 35 in Wellington, 27 in Auckland, and 16 in Christchurch. Cancer caused 63 deaths, being an increase of
7 on the number in 1887. The mortality was greatest in Dunedin, 27 deaths, and next in Wellington, 20 deaths.
Auckland took next place with 14 deaths, and in Christchurch there were only 2 deaths from cancer.

Local Diseases. These diseases caused 573 deaths, or 47.40 per cent. of the total number. Of these, the diseases
of the respiratory system were most fatal, having caused 153 deaths, of which 61 were from bronchitis, and 42 from
pneumonia.

Of the deaths from these 2 last-named diseases, 40 occurred in Wellington, 29 in Auckland, 22 in Dunedin, and
12 in Christchurch. In proportion to population these deaths were also most numerous in Wellington.

Diseases of the nervous system caused 150 deaths, of which apoplexy, infantile convulsions, inflammatory
diseases of the brain, and paralysis were the principal causes.

Violent Deaths. There was a slight decrease in the year in the number of deaths in this class-59 in 1887, and
53 in 1888. 11 of these deaths in 1888 were from drowning.

172 of all the deaths were of persons over 65 years of age, against 129 in 1888. Of these, 28 in 1887 and 29 in
1888 were over 80 years of age, including 2 in each year upwards of 90.

Registrar-General's Office, 15th February, 1889.
WM. R. E. BROWN,
Registrar-General.