468 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 16

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, Christchurch, and Dunedin, but raises it at Wellington.

Death-rates per 1,000 of Mean Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·46
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 1·26
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·70
" and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 0·79
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·40
" and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 1·12
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·27
" and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. 1·21

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

Compared with January, 1899, the results are,—

Auckland and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 1899. 1·12 1900. 1·26
Wellington and suburbs.. .. .. .. .. 0·81 0·79
Christchurch and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 1·28 1·12
Dunedin and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 1·05 1·21

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—Deaths from these diseases at the four chief cities and their suburbs show a decline from 45 in December to 31 in January. Influenza, which was fatal in 27 cases in December, was in January accountable for 12 deaths only—4 at Auckland, 2 at Wellington, 1 at Christchurch, and 5 at Dunedin; and deaths from whooping-cough fell from 5 in December to 2 in January. Measles caused 1 death at Wellington in January. At Auckland diphtheria was fatal in 1 case, and enteric fever in 2 cases. Diarrhoeal diseases caused 9 deaths—6 in Auckland and 3 in Christchurch.

Dietetic Diseases.—Only 2 deaths in this class are recorded, both from alcoholism.

Constitutional Diseases.—Deaths from constitutional diseases numbered 47 in January, against 39 in the previous month, 28 of the total being due to phthisis and other forms of tuberculosis, 16 to cancer, and 3 to other causes.

Local Diseases.—Of the 93 deaths in this class 16 were the result of nervous diseases (meningitis, apoplexy, convulsions, paralysis, &c.); 30, diseases of the circulatory system (heart-disease, &c.); 20, diseases of the respiratory system (pneumonia, congestion of lungs, bronchitis, &c.)—of these 6 occurred at Auckland, 3 at Wellington, 6 at Christchurch, and 5 at Dunedin. There were 16 deaths from diseases of the digestive system (7 enteritis), and 9 (8 Bright’s disease and 1 cystitis) from diseases of the urinary system; while diseases of the reproductive system and of the organs of locomotion were each accountable for one death.

Violence.—Of the 13 deaths in this group 12 are classed as accidental and 1 as homicidal. At Auckland a labourer and a mariner were accidentally killed by blow on head; a child of four years run over by tram-car; a boy of twelve and a woman of thirty-four died from traumatic tetanus; a woman of twenty-eight from effects of chloroform administered for a dental operation; while a bootmaker, aged nineteen, and a fisherman of forty-two, were accidentally drowned. At Wellington a child of three weeks was overlain. At Christchurch a shunter, aged forty-eight years, was run over by a railway-truck. At Dunedin a woman of seventy died from injury to the head, and a boy of fifteen from convulsions caused by swallowing unmasticated food; while a woman of fifty-seven was killed by wounds in the head, but by whom inflicted the evidence was not sufficient to show.