610 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 23

Excluding suburbs, and dealing with the deaths at all ages in the four cities or central boroughs only, the rates for 1898 are found to be higher in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin than in the previous year, but lower in Christchurch. The total number of deaths and the death-rates for four years are given:—

Deaths, 1895. Deaths, 1896. Deaths, 1897. Deaths, 1898.
No. Per 1,000 of No. Per 1,000 of No. Per 1,000 of No. Per 1,000 of
Population. Population. Population. Population.
Auckland (excluding suburbs) 471 14·87 .. 453 14·42 .. 416 12·99 .. 483 14·22
Wellington " 462 13·07 .. 434 11·59 .. 463 12·03 .. 516 12·47
Christchurch " 191 10·83 .. 195 11·49 .. 226 13·15 .. 192 10·87
Dunedin " 244 10·21 .. 219 9·60 .. 273 11·81 .. 298 12·73

By omitting the deaths of infants under one year, and calculating the rate on the population of one year of age and upwards, the position of the four cities as regards magnitude of death-rate is altered materially, Dunedin now taking first place.

Deaths per 1,000 of Population, excluding Infants (under One Year of Age).
1895. 1896. 1897. 1898.
Auckland (excluding suburbs) .. .. 11·02 .. 10·02 .. 9·64 .. 9·86
Wellington " .. 9·84 .. 9·17 .. 9·35 .. 9·18
Christchurch " .. 8·70 .. 8·86 .. 10·65 .. 8·85
Dunedin " .. 9·67 .. 8·07 .. 10·70 .. 10·87

Subjoined is a table showing the rates of infant mortality in the four cities for each of the past five years, together with the mean rates for the period. In respect of both last year’s rate and the mean rate, Auckland stands first, and Dunedin fourth.

Deaths of Children under One Year to every 100 Births.
1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. 1898. Mean of Five Years.
Auckland (excluding suburbs) 15·12 .. 14·86 .. 16·48 .. 12·80 .. 17·14 .. 15·28.
Wellington 9·49 .. 12·40 .. 10·05 .. 10·59 .. 13·71 .. 11·25
Christchurch 9·00 .. 11·14 .. 12·97 .. 12·50 .. 10·00 .. 11·12
Dunedin 8·73 .. 9·47 .. 7·83 .. 6·22 .. 9·66 .. 8·38

Specific Febrile and Zymotic Diseases.—The mortality from these diseases at Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin, with their suburbs, was much higher in 1898 than in 1897. Growth of population can only be said to account for a small part of the increase. At Christchurch the deaths for last year by zymotic diseases were fewer than in the former year. The total deaths in this class are 304 for 1898 and 201 for 1897.

Deaths from Febrile and Zymotic Diseases.
Auckland and Suburbs. Wellington and Suburbs. Christchurch and Suburbs. Dunedin and Suburbs.
1897 .. .. .. .. 82 .. 39 .. 56 .. 24
1898 .. .. .. .. 117 .. 99 .. 44 .. 44

Of the above, diarrhoeal diseases caused most deaths in 1898 at the four centres taken together, the total number being 124. Influenza came next with 70 deaths, typhoid fever contributed 38, measles 28, diphtheria 10, and other zymotic complaints 34.

Comparison of the deaths for each city shows,—

Zymotic, &c., Diseases. Auckland. Wellington. Christchurch. Dunedin.
1897. 1898. 1897. 1898. 1897. 1898. 1897. 1898.
Diarrhoeal Diseases .. 49 .. 59 .. 22 .. 36 .. 24 .. 14 .. 6 .. 15
Influenza .. 12 .. 14 .. 2 .. 21 .. 16 .. 17 .. 9 .. 18
Typhoid Fever .. 12 .. 22 .. 7 .. 12 .. 4 .. 4 .. 1 .. ..
Measles .. .. .. 7 .. .. .. 15 .. .. .. 2 .. .. .. 4
Diphtheria .. 4 .. 3 .. 1 .. 2 .. 6 .. 3 .. 1 .. 2
Scarlet Fever .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Other Zymotic Diseases .. 4 .. 12 .. 7 .. 13 .. 6 .. 4 .. 7 .. 5

The higher figures for Wellington, relating to the year 1898, in respect of diarrhoea, influenza, and measles are very noticeable.

Parasitic Diseases.—Hydatids were fatal at Auckland (1 death) and Dunedin (2). These, with 1 death from thrush, make the total of 4.

Dietetic Diseases.—These numbered 23.

Constitutional Diseases.—The deaths at the four towns numbered 467 in 1898. The first in importance of these diseases, and of all causes of death, is tubercle. The figures for 1897 and 1898 show 257 and 249 deaths for each year respectively.

Phthisis and other Tubercular Diseases.
1897. 1898.
Phthisis. Other Tubercular Diseases. Phthisis. Other Tubercular Diseases.
Auckland .. 51 .. 12 .. 48 .. 3
Wellington .. 47 .. 12 .. 50 .. 12
Christchurch .. 45 .. 3 .. 49 .. 5
Dunedin .. 67 .. 20 .. 61 .. 21
—— 210 .. 47 .. 208 .. 41

The mortality from tubercular diseases for 1898 is 11·30 per cent. of the total deaths at the four boroughs from all causes.

Deaths from cancer increased at the chief towns from 129 in 1897 to 160 in 1898. The latter number is 7·26 per cent. of deaths for the year from all causes.

Diabetes shows 18 deaths, against 12 in 1897.

Developmental Diseases.—There were 191 deaths—80 from premature birth and 92 from old age.

Local Diseases.—Deaths in this class were only 10 more than in 1897, the figures being 1,012 against 1,002. Diseases of the respiratory system show 250 deaths for 1898, or about one-fourth of the whole mortality in the class, against 210 in the former year. Bronchitis, pneumonia, congestion of lungs, pleurisy, and allied diseases form this group.

Under the head of diseases of the digestive system there were 181 deaths at the four centres, including 49 from enteritis; gastritis, 13; cirrhosis of liver, 15; hepatitis, 8; and dentition, 15.

Diseases of the urinary system show 70 deaths. The remaining deaths were—230 from nervous diseases, 4 of organs of special sense, 234 of organs of the circulatory system, 6 of the lymphatic, 26 of the reproductive system, 7 of the organs of locomotion, and 4 of the integuments.

Violent Deaths.—There have been 101 violent deaths, 75 of which were accidental. Six were caused by fractures, and 13 by falls. In 7 cases deaths resulted from the deceased being run over by bicycle, cart, engine, tram, or train. Eight deaths were from burning, 12 by drowning, 9 by suffocation, 2 by poisoning, 1 by misadventure with chloroform; besides 6 from accident at birth, and 11 others.

Of 24 suicides, 8 were by shooting, 5 by cutting throat, &c., 4 by poison, 5 by hanging, 1 by dynamite, and 1 by jumping from a bridge.

E. J. VON DADELSZEN,
Registrar-General’s Office,
Wellington, 1st March, 1899.
Registrar-General,