338
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 14

Births.—There has been a steady decrease in the total number of births in these four boroughs since 1885. In that year the number was 3,484; in 1889, 2,746. Each borough has experienced a decrease, that in Wellington having been the smallest:—

Boroughs. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889.
Auckland .. .. 1,343 .. 1,161 .. 1,076 .. 1,021 .. 907
Wellington .. .. 992 .. 979 .. 984 .. 989 .. 910
Christchurch .. .. 432 .. 459 .. 449 .. 393 .. 366
Dunedin .. .. 717 .. 649 .. 644 .. 548 .. 563

The birth-rate per 1,000 of population has also greatly decreased. This is shown by the following proportions:—

Boroughs. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889.
Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 41·82 .. 28·65 .. 26·31
Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 39·49 .. 34·51 .. 30·28
Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. 28·30 .. 23·99 .. 21·81
Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 30·62 .. 22·89 .. 23·60

The birth-rate for the colony was 30·07 for the year 1889, so that the rate in Wellington was slightly in excess of that for the colony. The low rates in Christchurch and Dunedin appear to strengthen the statement that has been made, that there is a tendency among the younger married people to take up their residence outside the borough boundaries.

Deaths.—The number of deaths in these boroughs decreased from 1,376 in 1885 to 1,125 in 1889. The rates per 1,000 of population have also largely decreased:—

Boroughs. Deaths.—1885. Deaths.—1889.
Number. Per 1,000 of Population. Number. Per 1,000 of Population.
Auckland .. .. .. 480 14·95 327 9·49
Wellington .. .. .. 374 14·89 374 12·45
Christchurch .. .. .. 227 14·87 164 9·77
Dunedin .. .. .. 295 12·57 260 10·90

As the death-rate for the colony in 1889 was 9·40 per 1,000, the mortality in each of these boroughs was greater than the average for the colony. The large difference between that in Wellington and those in the other boroughs was partially, but only to a small extent, due to the proportionately greater number of births in Wellington, the higher birth-rate involving a higher death-rate.

Infantile Mortality.—The rate of infantile mortality was highest in Christchurch in 1889, and next highest in Wellington. In Wellington and Dunedin the rates were higher than in the previous year. The following was the proportion of deaths of children under 1 year of age to the 100 of total births:—

Boroughs. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889.
Auckland .. .. .. 14·45 .. 17·31 .. 14·40 .. 11·36 .. 10·80
Wellington .. .. .. 10·28 .. 17·26 .. 16·16 .. 10·41 .. 12·42
Christchurch .. .. .. 13·43 .. 15·03 .. 12·25 .. 13·23 .. 13·11
Dunedin .. .. .. 9·62 .. 11·25 .. 10·09 .. 7·30 .. 9·59

The mortality of children under 5 years of age was, in proportion to the total number of deaths, greater in Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and less in Auckland in 1889 than in 1888; but this mortality in 1888 was exceptionally low. The following was the proportion of deaths of children under 5 years of age to the 100 deaths at all ages:—

Boroughs. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889.
Auckland .. .. .. 51·04 .. 53·85 .. 57·46 .. 42·78 .. 39·45
Wellington .. .. .. 37·17 .. 49·75 .. 49·18 .. 35·90 .. 40·64
Christchurch .. .. .. 34·80 .. 46·65 .. 36·19 .. 34·41 .. 35·98
Dunedin .. .. .. 29·83 .. 34·80 .. 28·62 .. 20·15 .. 28·85

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—These diseases caused 186 deaths in 1889, against 179 in 1888 and 274 in 1887. The most fatal in this class were the following:—

        1887.  1888.  1889.

Diarrhœal .. .. 154 72 116
Typhoid Fever .. .. 38 40 19
Whooping-cough .. .. 34 14 3
Diphtheria .. .. 20 24 16

The diseases in this class caused a proportionately greater mortality in Wellington than in the other boroughs. The following gives the number of deaths from these diseases in each borough for every 1,000 persons living:—

Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·42
Wellington .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2·49
Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2·32
Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·96

The higher rate in Wellington was chiefly due to a proportionately and actually greater number of deaths from diphtheria, typhoid fever, and scarlet fever. This is shown hereunder:—

        Deaths from
        Diphtheria.  Typhoid Fever.  Scarlet Fever.

Auckland .. .. .. 2 4 1
Wellington .. .. .. 9 10 7
Christchurch .. .. .. 4 5 0
Dunedin .. .. .. 1 0 0

Scarlet fever caused only 2 deaths in 1888, both in Auckland. Of the 116 deaths from diarrhœal diseases, 106 were of young children. These diseases were, proportionately to population, most fatal in Christchurch, and next so in Wellington, Auckland taking third place. Five deaths occurred in Wellington from venereal diseases (4 of young children from syphilis), against 1 in Christchurch, 2 in Dunedin, and not any in Auckland.

There was numerically and proportionately a greater mortality in Wellington from septic disease than in either of the other boroughs.

Constitutional Diseases.—The deaths in this class were less numerous than in the previous year, viz., 208 deaths in 1889, against 247 in 1888. There was a decrease of 15 in the number of deaths from phthisis and of 7 from cancer. The deaths from phthisis were proportionately most numerous in Wellington, next so in Dunedin, and the rate was lowest in Christchurch. The deaths from cancer were numerically greatest in Wellington, but in proportion to population the greatest number occurred in Dunedin, and next in Wellington. There was a very striking difference in the various death-rates from cancer in 1889, as follows:—

Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·32
Wellington .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·70
Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·24
Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·80

Local Diseases.—523 deaths were attributed to diseases in this class in the past year, a decrease of 50 on the number in 1888. Diseases of the respiratory system yielded the largest death-toll (132), of which bronchitis with 57 and pneumonia with 39 were the most fatal. The rate of mortality was greatest in Dunedin (1·59), and next so in Christchurch (1·54); that in Wellington was 1·10 and that in Auckland 1·02 per 1,000 persons. Of the 132 deaths, 54 were of children under 5 years of age.