754
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 19

CAUSES OF DEATH.

CLASS VI.—LOCAL DISEASES—contd.
ORDER 7:—
Diseases of Urinary System,—
Nephritis .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1
Bright’s Disease .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 3 4
Uraemia .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 2 3
Cystitis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1
ORDER 8:—
Diseases of Reproductive System,—
Extra-uterine Pregnancy .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1
Parturition .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1

CLASS VII.—VIOLENCE.
ORDER 1:—
Accident or Negligence,—
Fall .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1
Fall from Express .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1
Fall from Mast of Ship .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1
Drowned .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 2
Suffocation .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1
ORDER 2:—
Homicide,—
Murder .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1
Manslaughter .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1
ORDER 3:—
Suicide,—
By Shooting .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1
By Drowning .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1
By Hanging .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1

CLASS VIII.—ILL-DEFINED AND NOT-SPECIFIED CAUSES.
Marasmus, &c. .. .. .. 6 .. .. .. 4 .. .. .. 10
Totals .. .. .. 55 30 13 31 19 27 6 70 251

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.

Death-rates per 1,000 of Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·65
and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. 1·55
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·86
and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. 0·84
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·94
and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. 0·93
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·23
and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. 1·39

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

Compared with January, 1902, the results are,—

1902. 1903. Auckland and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 0·88 1·55
            Wellington and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 0·81 0·84
            Christchurch and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 1·02 0·93
            Dunedin and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. 1·03 1·39

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—Fifty-one deaths from diseases of this class were registered in January last as occurring at the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs, 38 being under five years of age, and 13 of five years and over. Of the total, 29 were recorded at Auckland, 6 at Wellington, 8 at Christchurch, and 8 at Dunedin. Sixteen of the deaths in this class were caused by diarrhœa, 15 by whooping-cough, 9 by scarlet fever, 6 by measles, 2 by diphtheria, and 1 each by enteric fever, stricture of urethra, and erysipelas.

Parasitic Diseases.—There was only one death in this class, a man of sixty-four years of age being recorded at Wellington as having died from hydatids of the liver.

Dietetic Diseases.—Seven deaths were attributed to this class of disease, 2 infants at Auckland dying from want of breast-milk, 3 men (2 at Wellington and 1 at Christchurch) and 1 woman, at Dunedin, from chronic alcoholism, and one man at Wellington from delirium tremens.

Constitutional Diseases.—These in January last numbered 36, a decrease of 13 on the number returned for the previous month, 16 being due to phthisis, 10 to cancer, 4 to tubercular meningitis, 2 to tubercular peritonitis, and 1 each to tabes mesenterica, tuberculosis, anæmia, and diabetes.

Developmental Diseases.—In this class 25 deaths were registered, old age accounting for 15, premature birth for 8, and congenital malformation for the remaining two.

Local Diseases.—The total number of deaths recorded as caused by diseases of this class was 110, and of these 31 were due to diseases of the nervous system, 1 to disease of organs of special sense, 17 to diseases of the circulatory system, 25 to diseases of the respiratory system, 25 to diseases of the digestive system, 9 to diseases of the urinary system, and 2 to diseases of the reproductive system.

Violence.—Of the 11 deaths in this class registered in January last 6 were accidental, 2 homicidal, and 3 suicidal. Of 6 accidental deaths, 1, a child of six years, was accidentally suffocated, 3 died from the effects of falls, and 2—a man of forty at Wellington, and a woman of forty-eight at Dunedin—were drowned. Of the homicidal deaths, 1 case of murder—that of a child by his mother when in a state of unsound mind—was recorded at Dunedin, as also was 1 case of manslaughter. The suicidal deaths, all at Dunedin, numbered 3—a labourer aged thirty-one shooting himself, a married woman of thirty-five years drowning herself whilst insane, and an engineer sixty-three years old hanging himself when in an unsound state of mind.

Ill-defined and Not-specified Causes.—Six cases of death from infantile atrophy and inanition were reported at Auckland, and 4 at Dunedin, during the month,