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THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 16

Births.—In the last six years there has been not only a great reduction in the proportion of births to the numbers of
the population, but a considerable decrease in the total number of births in these four boroughs. In 1890 the decrease
was, however, only experienced in three boroughs, the births in Wellington having been more numerous than in 1889, but
still not so many as in the other four preceding years:—

Births.

Boroughs. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890.
Auckland .. 1,343 .. 1,161 .. 1,076 .. 1,021 .. 907 .. 849
Wellington .. 992 .. 979 .. 984 .. 989 .. 910 .. 972
Christchurch .. 432 .. 459 .. 449 .. 393 .. 366 .. 360
Dunedin .. 717 .. 649 .. 644 .. 548 .. 563 .. 535

Comparing the results in 1890 with those in 1885, in Auckland the births have decreased in number at the rate of
nearly 37 per cent., in Dunedin at the rate of 25 per cent., in Christchurch at the rate of nearly 17 per cent., and in Wel-
ington at the rate of 2 per cent.

The following shows the decrease in the proportions of births to population since 1885 ; but last year the proportions in
Wellington and Christchurch were somewhat greater than in 1889, due in Wellington to an increase in the number of
births, and in Christchurch to a decrease in the estimated number of the population:—

Births per 1,000 of the Mean Population.

1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. Auckland .. .. .. .. 41·82 .. 28·65 .. 26·31 .. 25·48
                                    Wellington .. .. .. .. 39·49 .. 34·51 .. 30·28 .. 31·03
                                    Christchurch .. .. .. .. 28·30 .. 23·99 .. 21·81 .. 21·89
                                    Dunedin .. .. .. .. 30·62 .. 22·89 .. 23·60 .. 22·08

The birth-rate for the colony was 29·22 for the year 1890, so that the rate in Wellington was considerably in excess of
that for the colony as a whole. It has been stated that, as regards Christchurch and Dunedin, there is a tendency for the
younger married persons to take up their residences outside the borough boundaries. This receives apparent confirmation
from the low birth-rates in these boroughs.

Deaths.—The deaths in these boroughs amounted altogether to 1,200 in 1890, an increase of 75 on the number in 1889
but a decrease of 176 on the number in 1885. The death-rates or proportions of deaths to the population were greater in
1890 than in 1889 in the Boroughs of Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin; but the rate was less in Wellington, although
still considerably higher than in Auckland or Christchurch. The present rates in all the boroughs except Dunedin are
much lighter than those in 1885:—

Deaths, 1885. Deaths, 1889. Deaths, 1890.
Number. Per 1,000 of Number. Per 1,000 of Number. Per 1,000 of
Population. Population. Population.
Auckland .. 480 14·95 .. 327 9·49 .. 336 10·08
Wellington .. 374 14·89 .. 374 12·45 .. 386 12·32
Christchurch .. 227 14·87 .. 164 9·77 .. 163 9·91
Dunedin .. 295 12·57 .. 260 10·90 .. 315 13·00

As these boroughs comprise the centres of the densest population that exists in this colony, the several death-rates
compare most favourably with those of the Australian capitals, where the rates in 1889 varied from 15·39 in Adelaide to
23·39 in Melbourne, that of Hobart, with a mean population of 35,043, having been 19·95.

Infantile Mortality.—The rate of infantile mortality was highest in Christchurch in 1890, and next highest in Auck-
land, but in each of the four boroughs the rate was considerably lower than in the previous year. The following shows the
proportion of deaths of children under 1 year of age to the 100 births in each year specified :—

1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. Auckland .. .. .. 14·45 .. 17·31 .. 14·40 .. 11·36 .. 10·80 .. 9·89
                                    Wellington .. .. .. 10·28 .. 17·26 .. 16·16 .. 10·41 .. 12·42 .. 9·77
                                    Christchurch .. .. .. 13·43 .. 15·03 .. 12·25 .. 13·23 .. 13·11 .. 11·94
                                    Dunedin .. .. .. 9·62 .. 11·25 .. 10·09 .. 7·30 .. 9·59 .. 8·22

The following give the proportions of deaths of children under 5 years of age to the 100 deaths at all ages:—

1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. Auckland .. .. .. 51·04 .. 53·85 .. 57·46 .. 42·78 .. 39·45 .. 32·74
                                    Wellington .. .. .. 37·17 .. 49·75 .. 49·18 .. 35·90 .. 40·64 .. 32·38
                                    Christchurch .. .. .. 34·30 .. 46·65 .. 36·19 .. 34·41 .. 35·98 .. 34·97
                                    Dunedin .. .. .. 29·83 .. 34·80 .. 28·62 .. 20·15 .. 28·85 .. 17·14

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—These diseases caused 182 deaths in 1890 against 186 in 1889 and 179 in 1888.
The most fatal in this class were the following:—

1888. 1889. 1890. Diarrhœal .. .. .. .. .. 72 .. 116 .. 80
                  Typhoid fever .. .. .. .. .. 40 .. 19 .. 49
                  Whooping-cough .. .. .. .. .. 14 .. 3 .. 7
                  Diphtheria .. .. .. .. .. 24 .. 16 .. 8

The diseases in this class caused a greater proportionate 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 :—

1889. 1890. Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 1·42 .. 1·56
            Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 2·49 .. 2·46
            Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. 2·32 .. 1·28
            Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 0·96 .. 1·32

The higher rates in Wellington were chiefly due to a proportionately and actually greater number of deaths from diph-
theria, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, and diarrhœal diseases:—

Diphtheria. Typhoid Fever. Deaths from Scarlet Fever. Diarrhœal Diseases.
1889. 1890. 1889. 1890. 1889. 1890. 1889. 1890.
Auckland .. .. 2 2 .. 4 15 .. 1 2 .. 36 25
Wellington .. .. 9 5 .. 10 20 .. 7 9 .. 36 34
Christchurch .. .. 4 0 .. 5 2 .. 0 0 .. 27 9
Dunedin .. .. 1 1 .. 0 12 .. 0 0 .. 17 12

Of the 80 deaths from diarrhœal diseases, 75 were children under 5 years of age.

Constitutional Diseases.—These diseases caused 269 deaths in four boroughs in 1890, against 208 in 1889. The deaths
from cancer increased in number from 56 to 77. Of the deaths from this cause, the largest number in any one borough (28)
occurred in Dunedin. The death-rates from this disease in each of the boroughs were as follow :—

Deaths from Cancer per 1,000 of Population.
1889. 1890.
Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 0·32 .. 0·66
Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 0·70 .. 0·54
Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. 0·24 .. 0·61
Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 0·80 .. 1·15

Phthisis caused 124 deaths in 1890, a greater number than in the previous year by 23. The mortality from this
disease was, as in 1889, least in Christchurch.

Local Diseases caused 548 deaths in 1890, an increase of 25 on the similar number in 1889. In this class, diseases of
the respiratory system were most fatal, with 143 deaths, bronchitis and pneumonia having caused 118, of which 39 occurred
at Auckland, 32 at Wellington, 35 at Dunedin, and only 12 at Christchurch. The proportion to population was highest at
Dunedin, 1·44, and lowest at Christchurch, 0·73 ; it was 1·17 at Auckland, and 1·02 per 1,000 of population at Wellington.
In Auckland one-third, in Wellington nearly one-half, in Christchurch one-fourth, but in Dunedin only one-seventh, of