94
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 6

CLASS VII.—VIOLENCE.
ORDER 1:—
Accident or Negligence,—
Fracture of Skull .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1
Sunstroke .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1
Found Drowned .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2
ORDER 3:—
Suicide,—
Hanging .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 2

CLASS VIII.—ILL-DEFINED AND NOT-SPECIFIED CAUSES.
Marasmus, Debility, Inanition .. 2 .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. 4
Totals .. .. .. 17 22 21 46 5 16 1 41 169

The following remarks apply only to the four principal boroughs: The births in December were 223, the same number as in November. The deaths amounted to 169, against 125 in November, an increase of 44. There were 28 deaths of persons of 65 years and upwards: 3 males of 79, 75, and 69, died at Auckland; 8 males of 86, 85, 83, 82, 77, 68, 66, and 65, and 4 females of 77, 76, 71, and 66, at Wellington; 2 males of 75 and 74, and 2 females of 82 and 80, at Christchurch; 5 males of 82, 78, 66, and 65 (2), and 4 females of 91, 76, 75, and 65, at Dunedin.

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—There was a large increase in December in the number of deaths from these diseases, owing chiefly to the prevalence of influenza, which caused 30 deaths, against 13 in November, and none in October. Of these deaths, 11 occurred in each of the Boroughs of Wellington and Dunedin, 6 in Christchurch, and 2 in Auckland. The mortality was chiefly among elderly and aged persons, as 4 of the deaths were of persons between 40 and 50 years of age, 6 of persons from 50 to 60, and 14 of persons over 60. Whooping-cough caused 5 deaths (of which 3 occurred in Auckland), an increase of 2 on the number in November. Typhoid fever caused 2 deaths, 1 at Auckland and 1 at Wellington. Diarrhoeal diseases were much more fatal, having caused 12 deaths—all but one were of children.

Constitutional Diseases.—These diseases caused 30 deaths in December, against 25 in November. The number of deaths from cancer was rather less, 6, against 8 in November, but phthisis caused 2 more deaths, 16 against 14.

Local Diseases.—There was an increase in the mortality in this class of diseases, from 58 in November to 61 in December. Diseases of the nervous and digestive systems caused a slightly increased number of deaths, but there was a decrease of 2 in the number from diseases of the respiratory system.

Violent Deaths.—There were 6 deaths from external violent causes. Of these, 2 were from accidental drowning, and 2 were of females who committed suicide by hanging.

The subjoined table shows the mortality for the last two months at each of these four boroughs from six principal specific febrile or zymotic diseases, and also the deaths from certain inflammatory diseases of the lungs. These causes of death have been distinguished from the others of the classes to which they belong as being the most important special diseases which give rise to sudden increases in the death-rates of towns, and the prevalence of which is closely connected with sanitary condition and climatic influence of the season on health.

TOWNS.
| SIX PRINCIPAL SPECIFIC FEBRILE OR ZYMOTIC DISEASES. | PRINCIPAL LUNG DISEASES. |
|--- | ---|
| Measles | Scarlet Fever. | Typhoid and other Fever. | Diphtheria. | Whooping-cough. | Diarrhoeal Diseases. | Bronchitis. | Pleurisy. | Pneumonia. | Congestion of Lungs. |
| Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Nov. |
| Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 3 .. 5 .. .. 2 .. .. 3 2 1 ..
| Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 1 3 1 1 1 2 6 .. .. 3 .. 1 2 2 1 ..
| Christchurch .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 .. ..
| Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. 2 .. 1 ..
| Totals .. .. .. .. .. 2 4 2 1 5 2 12 5 .. 8 .. 1 8 5 3 ..

Registrar-General’s Office,
Wellington, January, 1892.

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

PROVISIONAL METEOROLOGICAL RETURN FOR DECEMBER, 1891.

NOTE.—This table is prepared from unchecked averages, transmitted by telegraph in anticipation of the full returns, and must not be entirely relied on for compiling Meteorological Statistics.

Meteorological Office, Wellington, January, 1892.

JAMES HECTOR,
Director.