1366
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 62

CAUSES OF DEATH.

CLASS VII.—VIOLENCE.
ORDER 1:—
Accident or Negligence,—
Run over by Cart .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1
Run over by Tram .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1
Fall down Hatchway of Ship .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1
Fall from Window .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1
Burns .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1
Drowned .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 2
Suffocated (asleep) .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1
Misadventure (Chloroform) .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1

ORDER 3:—
Suicide,—
By Shooting .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1
By Cutting Throat .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1

CLASS VIII.—ILL-DEFINED AND NOT-SPECIFIED CAUSES.
Marasmus, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 .. 3 .. 6
Atheroma .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1

Totals .. .. .. 18 21 11 23 9 30 11 33 156

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 and Dunedin, but raises it at Christchurch.

Death-rates per 1,000 of Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·91 0·78
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·69 0·69
" and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·85 0·87
" and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·00 0·84
" and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

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

Compared with May, 1900, the results are,—

1900. 1901. Auckland and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·93 0·78
            Wellington and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·92 0·69
            Christchurch and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·04 0·87
            Dunedin and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·82 0·84

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—Influenza caused 1 death at Auckland and another at Wellington. Typhoid fever was fatal at Christchurch, also 1 death. From diarrhoeal complaints there were only 2 deaths during May, 1 at Auckland and 1 at Wellington.

Constitutional Diseases.—Of 35 deaths at the four centres, 14 were from cancer, 12 from phthisis, and 4 from other tubercular diseases. The remainder included 2 from diabetes, 1 from purpura, 1 from anaemia, and 1 from rheumatism.

Local Diseases.—Of 71 deaths from these complaints, 18 were from diseases of the nervous system, 16 of the circulatory, 19 of the respiratory, 11 of the digestive, 4 of the urinary, 1 of the reproductive, and 2 of the locomotive systems.

Violent Deaths.—These numbered 11. A bootmaker was run over by a cart at Auckland, and a child by a tramcar at Dunedin. A painter was killed by falling from a window at Christchurch, and a labourer at Dunedin by falling down a ship’s hatchway. At Wellington a girl died from accidental burns. A child was suffocated in sleep at Auckland, a storekeeper died under chloroform, while a labourer was found drowned in the harbour of the same town, and another at Dunedin.
One suicide was at Auckland, where a settler shot himself while temporarily insane; the other at Christchurch, where a storekeeper cut his throat.

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