MAY 12.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 849

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 at Wellington and Dunedin, but raises it at Christchurch. The rates for April are,—

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·24
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. 1·24
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·87
" and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. 0·80
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·46
" and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. 0·63
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·99
" and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. 0·84

Including the suburbs, the rate at Auckland is the highest and at Christchurch the lowest.

Compared with April, 1897, the results are,—

Auckland and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. April, 1897. April, 1898.
Wellington and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 0·92 1·24
Christchurch and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 1·01 0·80
Dunedin and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 1·12 0·63
.. .. .. .. .. 0·99 0·84

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—The deaths in this class at the four cities and suburbs again fell in number during April: in February the number was 53, in March 43, and in April only 30. Deaths from influenza fell from 22 in February and 8 in March to 4 in April—2 at Auckland and 2 at Dunedin. From typhoid fever there were 8 deaths last month—4 at Auckland, 2 at Wellington, and 2 at Christchurch. In deaths from diarrhoeal diseases the decrease last month is noticeable: of these, there were 26 in March, against 17 in April—11 at Auckland, 4 at Wellington, and 2 at Dunedin. There was one death of a child from congenital syphilis.

Constitutional Diseases.—Of 35 deaths, phthisis contributed 18, cancer 11, rheumatism 3.

Local Diseases.—Diseases of the nervous system caused 11 deaths; of organs of special sense, 2; of circulatory system, 9; of respiratory, 12; of digestive, 17; of urinary, 5; of reproductive, 3: total, 59 deaths.

Violent Deaths.—There were 10 accidental deaths, 1 suicide, and 2 deaths by hanging—execution of criminals. A labourer was killed by fall of earth; a child run over by a cart; a boy killed by poisoned wound of finger; a labourer by injury to hand; a girl by exhaustion from burns. A labourer, a teacher, an upholsterer, a brewer, and another adult male, were drowned. A woman cut her throat, and two labourers were hanged in due process of law.

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.