Aug. 20.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1331

In the first table are given the deaths and death-rates for each of the four cities, for the suburban boroughs severally, and for each city with its suburban towns. As regards Auckland and Christchurch, the whole of the area usually recognised as suburban has not yet been brought under municipal government, and the vital statistics do not deal with such portions as still remain in road districts. But the omission is not very important, for there are in either case quite enough suburbs included within borough boundaries 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.

The inclusion of the suburban boroughs tends to lower the death-rate for last month at each of the four cities. The rates for July are,—

Death-rate per 1,000 of Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·40
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·19
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·77
" and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·69
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·00
" and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·85
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·27
" and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·16

Including the suburbs, the rate at Auckland is the highest, and at Wellington the lowest. Compared with July, 1895, the results are,—

Specific Febrile and Zymotic Diseases.—The low mortality reported for June in respect of this class of diseases at the four centres is again found in July. Scarlet fever caused 1 death, at Wellington, influenza 1 at Auckland and 1 at Dunedin. From whooping-cough there were 2 deaths, at Dunedin. Diphtheria is observed as fatal in 1 case, at Wellington, and typhoid fever in another, at Christchurch. From diarrhoeal diseases there was only 1 death, at Dunedin. Septic diseases contributed 1 death from pyæmia, which occurred at Auckland.

Constitutional Diseases.—The deaths in July were 49, against 32 in the previous month. The increase is mostly accounted for under the head of phthisis, from which there were 21 deaths in July, against only 9 in June. Deaths from cancer for July (15) were also in excess of the number for June (13). The cancers causing death in July were found to exist in the chest, stomach, breast, intestines, jaw, liver, tongue, rectum, neck, cæcum, &c., the disease apparently attacking any part of the body.

Local Diseases.—Deaths increased from 80 in June to 91 in July. Of the latter, 31 were from diseases of the nervous system, including 7 from apoplexy, 7 from meningitis, and 6 from convulsions Twenty-one deaths were from diseases of the circulatory system—heart-disease, &c. Diseases of the respiratory system—bronchitis, pneumonia, &c.—contributed 18, diseases of the digestive system 17, of the urinary system 3 deaths, and of organs of locomotion 1 death.

Violent Deaths.—Three of these were accidental and two suicidal. A cabinetmaker was found drowned in Wellington harbour, and a woman in the River Avon, at Christchurch. At Auckland, a gardener was suffocated by smoke at a fire, a bootmaker committed suicide by shooting himself, and a blacksmith blew off his head with dynamite.