Oct. 11.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1539

It has been remarked that the vital statistics of the four chief centres of population as given in the monthly reports prior to March last were deficient in a most important particular—i.e., that in striking the death-rates the suburbs were not represented and dealt with in the same way as the cities. It is, no doubt, important to show the mortality in the suburbs, and a suburban death-rate may vary considerably from that of the centre in any case. For, in the first place, the centre and the suburbs may differ in the matter of sanitation, &c.; and, moreover, when the area occupied by a city is largely taken up with 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 condition, 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 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 are quite enough 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 it is raised at Christchurch. The rates for September are,—

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·12
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. 0·99
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·80
" and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. 0·78
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·74
" and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. 1·01
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·05
" and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. 0·85

Including suburbs, the rate at Christchurch is the highest and that of Wellington the lowest.

Specific Febrile and Zymotic Diseases.—There were 18 deaths from these complaints at the four centres and their suburbs during the month of September, against 25 in August; and the percentage of mortality from all causes was 11·6 last month, against 12·4 in the preceding period. The most fatal disease of this class in September was whooping-cough, which, however, caused only 6 deaths—3 at Auckland and 3 at Christchurch—all of children under 5 years of age. Deaths from influenza, which numbered 10 in August, fell to 5 in September, 1 at Auckland, 2 at Christchurch, and 2 at Dunedin. The mortality from typhoid fever was not great, comprising 2 deaths at Auckland and 1 at Dunedin. Diarrhoeal diseases caused only 3 deaths—1 at Auckland, 1 at Wellington, and 1 at Dunedin. The above, with 1 death from puerperal septicaemia, at Wellington, make up the total number.

Constitutional Diseases.—While the deaths in September were only 33, there were 43 in August. An increase, however, is observable under the head of cancer, from which the deaths last month were 15. But the deaths from phthisis were only 10 in September; against 21 in August.

Local Diseases.—The total of 81 deaths shows a decrease of 17 on the number for the previous month. This is owing to the fact that diseases of the respiratory system fell from 47 to 20. The numbers for September include 16 deaths from bronchitis, pleurisy, and pneumonia, 2 from croup, 1 from asthma, and 1 from haemorrhage of lungs. From disease of the nervous system the deaths in September were 23, and from diseases of the circulatory system (heart-diseases, &c.), 16. Besides these, there were 14 deaths from diseases of the digestive system, 6 from diseases of the urinary system (5 cases of Bright’s), 1 from disease of the reproductive system, and 1 from obesity.

Violent Deaths.—There were only 4 accidental deaths. A labourer was crushed to death, a youth killed by a blow on the chest, a boy of 12 years run over by a tram-car, and an infant overlain in bed. A woman of 58 years committed suicide by taking carbolic acid.

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.

Registrar-General’s Office,
Wellington, 8th October, 1894.

E. J. von DADELSZEN,
Registrar-General.