Aug. 18.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1351

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 rates at Auckland and Christchurch, but lowers them at Wellington and Dunedin. The rates for July are,—

Death-rates per 1,000 of Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·90
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 1·00
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·92
" and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 0·85
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·75
" and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 0·77
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·98
" and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 0·95

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

Compared with July, 1897, the results are,—

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—The deaths at the four centres and their suburbs in July numbered only 17, against 16 for the previous month, 21 for May, 30 for April, 43 for March, and 53 for February. Measles caused 1 death last month (at Wellington). Influenza was fatal in 3 instances, at Christchurch. Diphtheria is found at Dunedin (1 death). Typhoid fever contributed 1 death at Auckland and another at Wellington. Diarrhoeal diseases show 4 deaths—2 at Auckland and 2 at Wellington. Syphilis caused 3 deaths—1 at Auckland and 2 at Wellington. The rest of the deaths in this class are 1 (a child) from erysipelas, 1 from septicaemia, and 1 from puerperal fever—making a total of 17 deaths altogether.

Constitutional Diseases.—The deaths fell from 37 in June to 28 in July, of which 17 were from cancer and 8 from phthisis.

Local Diseases.—These deaths rose from 76 in June to 90 in July: 21 were from nervous diseases (apoplexy, paralysis, insanity, &c.); 20 from diseases of the circulatory system; 30 from diseases of the respiratory system (bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, &c.); 11 from diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, enteritis, liver-disease, &c.); 7 from diseases of the urinary system (Bright’s disease, uraemia, and others); and 1 from disease of the integuments.

Violent Deaths.—These numbered 6—4 accidental and 2 suicidal: A master mariner was killed at Wellington by the fall of a shackle; a girl of 6 years died from poisoned wound of hand, and a boy from accidental burning, at Dunedin; 1 infant from umbilical haemorrhage, at Wellington.

A builder poisoned himself at Christchurch, and a storeman shot himself at Dunedin.

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.