New Zealand Gazette – 1898 – No. 4

Page 108

✨ Mortality Statistics by Cause and Borough

108
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 4

CLASS VII.—VIOLENCE.	AUCKLAND AND SUBURBAN BOROUGHS.		WELLINGTON AND SUBURBAN BOROUGHS.		CHRISTCHURCH AND SUBURBAN BOROUGHS.		DUNEDIN AND SUBURBAN BOROUGHS.		TOTAL.
ORDER 1:— Accident or Negligence,—	Under 5 Years.	5 Years and over.	Under 5 Years.	5 Years and over.	Under 5 Years.	5 Years and over.	Under 5 Years.	5 Years and over.
Injury to Spine ..	..	1	..	..	..	..	..	..	1
Colliding with Cart	..	..	..	..	..	1	..	..	1
Fractured Spine ..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	1
Burns ..	..	1	1	..	..	..	..	..	2
Scald ..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	..	1
Drowned	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	1
ORDER 2:— Homicide,—
Wilful Murder ..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	1
ORDER 3:— Suicide,—
By Shooting	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	..	1
„ Hanging	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	..	1
„ Dynamite	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	..	1
CLASS VIII. — ILL-DEFINED AND NOT-SPECIFIED CAUSES.
Marasmus, &c. ..	..	2	1	..	2	..	..	..	5
Abscess (Multiple)	..	1	..	..	..	..	..	..	1
Found Dead ..	..	..	..	..	..	1	..	1	2
Totals ..	..	19	34	9	27	6	34	2	30

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 raise the rate at Auckland, but lowers it at Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The rates for December are—

	Death-rates per 1,000 of Population.
Auckland City ..	1·18
„ and five suburban boroughs	1·21
Wellington City ..	0·88
„ and three suburban boroughs	0·86
Christchurch City ..	1·06
„ and four suburban boroughs	0·97
Dunedin City ..	0·75
„ and eight suburban boroughs	0·68

Including the suburbs, the rate at Auckland is the highest, and at Dunedin the lowest. Compared with December, 1896, the results are,—

	December, 1896.	December, 1897.
Auckland and suburbs	0·89	1·21
Wellington and suburbs	1·22	0·86
Christchurch and suburbs	0·49	0·97
Dunedin and suburbs ..	0·76	0·68

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—During the month of December the deaths from these causes at the four chief centres and their suburbs numbered 15, or 9·32 per cent. of the total mortality. Influenza was accountable for 10 of these deaths (5 at Auckland, 1 at Wellington, and 4 at Christchurch), the remaining 5 being attributed to cholera infantum and diarrhœa, all at Auckland.

Dietetic Diseases.—One death from alcoholism was recorded at Dunedin.

Constitutional Diseases.—Of a total of 26 deaths in this class, phthisis and tuberculosis caused 14, cancer 11, and gout 1.

Local Diseases.—Deaths from local diseases numbered 84, or 52·17 per cent. of deaths from all causes, and to this total, diseases of the nervous system (apoplexy, paralysis, convulsions, &c.) contributed 16, diseases of the circulatory system (heart-disease, &c.) 21, diseases of the respiratory system 20 (bronchitis 11, pneumonia 9), diseases of the digestive system 14, of the lymphatic system 3, of the urinary system 4, of the reproductive system 5, and of the organs of locomotion (disease of knee-joint) 1.

Violent Deaths.—Deaths in this class numbered 11. Of these, 7 were accidental: At Auckland a woman died from partial paralysis, the result of injury to the spine, a woman aged thirty and a girl of nine years were burnt through their clothes catching fire; at Christchurch a Customs officer was run over by a cart; and at Dunedin a woman of sixty-four died from a fractured spine, a child of seventeen months was accidentally scalded, and a shopkeeper was found drowned. In one case a verdict of “Wilful murder” was returned, at Dunedin. There were three cases of suicide during temporary insanity, all in Wellington: A draughtsman shot himself, a carpenter hanged himself, and a labourer exploded a dynamite cartridge in his mouth.

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