762
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 37

| ORDER 8:—
| Diseases of Reproductive System,—
| Ovarian Tumour.. .. ..
|
| CLASS VII.—VIOLENCE.
| ORDER 1:—
| Accident or Negligence,—
| Fall Downstairs .. .. ..
| Burned .. .. ..
| Drowned .. .. ..
| Injuries received during Birth ..
| ORDER 3:—
| Suicide,—
| By swallowing Matches .. ..
| By Hanging .. .. ..
|
| CLASS VIII.—ILL-DEFINED AND NOT-
| SPECIFIED CAUSES.
| Marasmus, &c. .. .. ..
|
| Totals .. .. ..
|
| AUCKLAND AND SUBURBAN BOROUGHS.
|
| Under 5 Years. | 5 Years and over.
| .. | 1
|
| .. | 1
| 1 | ..
| .. | ..
| .. | ..
|
| .. | 2
| .. | ..
|
| 4 | ..
|
| 22 | 80
|
| WELLINGTON AND SUBURBAN BOROUGHS.
|
| Under 5 Years. | 5 Years and over.
| .. | ..
|
| .. | ..
| .. | 1
| 1 | ..
|
| .. | ..
| .. | ..
|
| 1 | ..
|
| 18 | 21
|
| CHRISTCHURCH AND SUBURBAN BOROUGHS.
|
| Under 5 Years. | 5 Years and over.
| .. | ..
|
| .. | ..
| .. | ..
| .. | ..
|
| .. | 1
| .. | ..
|
| 6 | ..
|
| 11 | 24
|
| DUNEDIN AND SUBURBAN BOROUGHS.
|
| Under 5 Years. | 5 Years and over.
| .. | ..
|
| .. | 1
| .. | ..
| .. | ..
|
| .. | ..
| .. | ..
|
| .. | ..
|
| 7 | 27
|
| TOTAL.
|
| 1
|
| 2
| 1
| 1
| 1
|
| 2
| 1
|
| 11
|
| 160

It has been remarked that the vital statistics of the four chief centres of population as given prior to March in the monthly reports are deficient in a most important particular—i.e., that in striking the death-rates the suburbs have not been represented and dealt with as well as the cities. It is, no doubt, important to show the mortality in the suburbs, and the rates may vary considerably from that of the centre in any case. There is, first of all, the factor of different sanitary conditions in the suburbs from those obtaining in the centre; but, besides this, when the area occupied by a city is to a great extent full of shops and warehouses, the population will, as time advances, include more and more caretakers, and fewer families with young children. The suburbs, on the other hand, will include many of these last. The death-rates will vary accordingly, apart from matters relating to sanitary conditions, but perhaps not so much so as might at first be thought likely, because with a high birth-rate in the suburbs there are sure to be many deaths of infants and very young children to raise the death-rate; and with a low birth-rate in a centre occupied by a population including many persons at the higher ages the death-rate may be also disproportionately increased.

In the first table the deaths and death-rates are given for each city, for its suburban boroughs, and for the city including the suburban towns. With regard to Auckland and Christchurch, the whole of what are usually considered the suburbs has not yet municipal government, and the vital statistics do not deal with the portions which still remain in the road districts. But the omission is not very important, for there is quite sufficient of suburbs included in borough boundaries in either case to give a fair idea of the death-rate of Greater Auckland and Greater Christchurch. As further boroughs are formed the vital statistics will be made to include them.

It will be seen that by including the suburban boroughs the death-rate for last month is lowered at Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin, while at Christchurch it is raised. The rates for April are,—

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·34
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. 1·22
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·09
" and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. 1·02
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·57
" and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. 0·84
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·92
" and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. 0·70

Of these the rate for Auckland and suburbs is proved to be the highest, and that for Dunedin, with its surrounding boroughs, the lowest. The rate at Auckland for April, 1·22 per thousand persons, was lower than that for March (1·62). At Wellington the rate rose from 0·91 in March to 1·02 in April, and at Christchurch from 0·65 to 0·84. The rate for Dunedin fell from 0·83 in March to 0·70 last month.

Specific Febrile and Zymotic Diseases.—The deaths at the four centres fell from 21 in March to 17 in April. Of those in April, 5 were at Auckland, 6 at Wellington, 4 at Christchurch, and 2 at Dunedin. Measles is observed at Wellington, but only 1 death; and typhoid fever, with 3 deaths. There was a death from diphtheria at Christchurch, and 1 from whooping-cough at Dunedin. But the mortality from this class of disease, taken altogether, is low, and forms only 10·62 per cent. of the total deaths from all causes.

Constitutional Diseases.—Of 36 deaths, 7 were from cancer, 15 from phthisis, and 9 from other tubercular diseases. Diabetes caused 2 deaths.

Local Diseases.—The total number of deaths at the chief centres was 74, against 66 in March. Of those in April, 20 were from diseases of the nervous system, and the same number from diseases of the digestive system. Diseases of the respiratory organs caused 13 and diseases of the circulatory system 12 deaths. Six deaths resulted from diseases of the urinary organs, and one each from diseases of the organs of special sense, diseases of the reproductive system, and diseases of the lymphatic system.

Violent Deaths.—There were 8 violent deaths, being the same number as in March: 5 were accidental and 3 suicidal. At Auckland, a male of 60 years was killed by falling downstairs, and at Dunedin a female of 66 years by the same cause. A child of 16 months died from burns at Auckland. A mariner was accidentally drowned in the harbour at Wellington, and an infant died from injuries received at birth. A man and a woman committed suicide at the same time in Auckland by swallowing matches—both persons stated to have been mentally deranged. At Christchurch a bootmaker hanged himself while temporarily insane.

The subjoined table shows the mortality for the last two months at each of the four centres 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.