876
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 22

CAUSES OF DEATH.

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

Death-rates per 1,000 of Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·27 1·43
and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. ..
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·03 0·97
and three suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. ..
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·89 0·73
and four suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. ..
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·03 0·84
and eight suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. ..

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

Compared with February, 1902, the results are,—

1902. 1903. Auckland and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·43 1·43
            Wellington and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. 1·05 0·97
            Christchurch and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·96 0·73
            Dunedin and suburbs .. .. .. .. .. .. 0·73 0·84

Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—Thirty-one deaths from diseases of this class were registered in February last as occurring at the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs—viz., 12 at Auckland, 7 at Wellington, 5 at Christchurch, and 7 at Dunedin. Of this total, 21 were under five years of age. Diarrhoea, dysentery, and infantile cholera were the causes of 13 deaths, scarlet fever of 6, whooping-cough of 4, measles of 3, septic diseases of 3, and influenza and stricture of the urethra of 1 each.

Dietetic Diseases.—There were 5 deaths in this class, 2 children dying from malnutrition or want of nourishment, and 3 adults from alcoholism.

Constitutional Diseases.—These numbered 38, or 2 more than in the preceding month, and of the total 21 were due to phthisis and other tubercular diseases, 14 to cancer, 2 to diabetes, and 1 to rachitis.

Developmental Diseases.—In this class there were 17 deaths—8 from premature birth, and 9 from old age.

Local Diseases.—The total number of deaths recorded as from diseases of this class was 107—29 under and 78 over five years of age—and of these 19 were due to diseases of the nervous system, 25 to diseases of the circulatory system, 16 to diseases of the respiratory system, 32 to diseases of the digestive system, 1 to disease of the lymphatic system, 9 to diseases of the urinary system, 4 to diseases of the reproductive system, and 1 (arthritis) to disease of the organs of locomotion.

Violence.—All the 10 deaths in this class registered in February at the four chief centres were accidental—4 in Auckland, 1 in Wellington, 2 in Christchurch, and 3 in Dunedin. Three of the deaths were tram accidents, 1 from a fractured pelvis, 1 from burns, 1 from poison, a labourer was suffocated in a drain at Auckland and an infant accidentally suffocated in Wellington, also an infant at Dunedin died from an accident at birth, and a child of two years from the effects of a fall.

Ill-defined and Not-specified Causes.—Only 3 deaths in this class were reported, all from infantile atrophy, and at Auckland.