MAY 18.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 967

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

Death-rates per 1,000 of Mean Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·23
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 1·12
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·94
" and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 0·91
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·83
" and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 0·81
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·81
" and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 0·89

Including the suburbs, the rate at Auckland is the highest, and at Christchurch the lowest. Compared with April, 1898, the results are,—

April, 1898. April, 1899.
Auckland and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·24 1·12
Wellington and suburbs.. .. .. .. .. .. 0·80 0·91
Christchurch and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 0·63 0·81
Dunedin and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·84 0·89

Specific Febrile and Zymotic Diseases.—The mortality in this class at the four centres for April differs but little from that for March, the numbers being 41 deaths in the later month against 44 in the former one. Of the deaths during April from zymotic diseases, Dunedin had the greatest number, 18; while there were only 7 deaths last month at Christchurch, against 20 in March and 30 in February at that city.

The total number of 18 deaths at Dunedin includes 10 from diarrhoeal diseases, 5 from measles, and 2 from typhoid fever. Of 9 deaths at Auckland, 7 were attributable to diarrhoeal complaints, 1 to whooping-cough, and 1 to typhoid. At Christchurch, there were 4 from diarrhoeal diseases, 1 from measles, 1 from typhoid, and 1 from puerperal septicaemia. Wellington shows 4 from diarrhoea, 1 measles, 2 typhoid.

Constitutional Diseases.—The deaths fell from 38 in March to 27 in April. The last include 10 from cancer and 10 from phthisis, with 2 from diabetes.

Local Diseases.—The total of deaths for April was 73, against 75 in March. Twenty-one persons died of diseases of the nervous system, 12 of diseases of the circulatory, 16 of the respiratory, 19 of the digestive, 3 of the urinary system, and 2 of the organs of locomotion.

Violent Deaths.—There were 9 accidental (7 at Wellington) and 1 suicidal. A bricklayer was killed by falling off a tramcar at Wellington; a child accidentally burned at the same town. At Auckland, a girl died from overdose of laudanum. At Wellington a child was killed by alcoholic poisoning; and there were 4 deaths by drowning at the same town, besides 1 at Auckland. The suicide was that of a seamstress, who poisoned herself with carbolic acid while temporarily insane.