Mar. 1.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 711

Births per 1,000 of Population.

Auckland (without suburbs) .. 30·00 .. 30·80 .. 31·67 .. 31·08 .. 30·06
Wellington " .. 26·35 .. 25·29 .. 29·22 .. 26·77 .. 29·72
Christchurch " .. 24·12 .. 25·84 .. 26·59 .. 27·53 .. 29·70
Dunedin " .. 22·04 .. 19·96 .. 19·54 .. 22·40 .. 23·90

DEATHS AND DEATH-RATES.

The total number of deaths registered for the four centres in 1905 was 2,388—viz., 2,007 in the cities, and 381 in the suburbs.
By including the suburbs the death-rate for last year is lowered at three of the four centres. The rates for the year are,—

Death-rates per 1,000 of Mean Population.

Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12·15
" and five suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·52
Wellington City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·55
" and two suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·21
Christchurch City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·76
" and one suburban borough .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·89
Dunedin City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11·13
" and six suburban boroughs .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·12

If the number of deaths of infants under 1 year be excluded, the mortality among the rest of the population is found to have been for 1905 and 1904 in the following ratio to the 1,000 living:—

1904. 1905. Auckland (including suburbs) .. .. .. .. .. .. 8·11 .. 7·96
            Wellington " .. .. .. .. .. .. 7·89 .. 7·38
            Christchurch " .. .. .. .. .. .. 7·62 .. 8·25
            Dunedin " .. .. .. .. .. .. 9·60 .. 8·51

The degree of infantile mortality is perhaps best shown in the proportion of deaths of children under 1 year of age to every 100 births. For 1905 and 1904 the proportions at the chief centres are,—

1904. 1905. Auckland (including suburbs) .. .. .. .. .. .. 7·01 .. 9·15
            Wellington " .. .. .. .. .. .. 9·53 .. 9·62
            Christchurch " .. .. .. .. .. .. 10·30 .. 8·90
            Dunedin " .. .. .. .. .. .. 9·30 .. 6·71

Again, the percentage of deaths of children under 5 to the total number of deaths is—Auckland, 28·82; in Christchurch, 27·53; in Wellington, 33·39; in Dunedin, 18·54.
Excluding suburbs, and dealing with the deaths at all ages in the four cities or central boroughs only, the rates for 1905 are found to be lower than in the previous year at Wellington and Dunedin, but higher at Auckland and Christchurch. The figures for four years are given:—

Deaths, 1902. Deaths, 1903. Deaths, 1904. Deaths, 1905.
Per 1,000 of Population. Per 1,000 of Population. Per 1,000 of Population. Per 1,000 of Population.

Auckland (excluding suburbs) 17·21 .. 12·97 .. 11·11 .. 12·15
Wellington " 12·58 .. 11·30 .. 10·75 .. 10·55
Christchurch " 12·24 .. 11·39 .. 10·50 .. 10·76
Dunedin " 11·86 .. 14·77 .. 13·59 .. 11·13

Omitting the deaths of infants under one year, and calculating the rate on the population of one year of age and upwards, two of the boroughs show lower rates for 1905 than for the previous year.

Deaths per 1,000 of Population, excluding Infants (under One Year of Age).

1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. Auckland (excluding suburbs) .. 9·93 .. 12·86 .. 9·45 .. 9·24 .. 9·39
                              Wellington " .. 8·12 .. 9·54 .. 8·84 .. 8·42 .. 7·80
                              Christchurch " .. 10·69 .. 9·03 .. 8·83 .. 7·87 .. 8·46
                              Dunedin " .. 10·88 .. 10·35 .. 13·61 .. 11·90 .. 9·64

Subjoined is a table showing the rates of infant mortality in the four cities for each of the past five years, together with the mean rates for the period.

Deaths of Children under One Year to every 100 Births.

1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. Mean of Five Years.
                              Auckland (excluding suburbs) .. 11·57 .. 15·41 .. 12·08 .. 6·93 .. 10·13 .. 11·22
                              Wellington " .. 10·43 .. 12·97 .. 9·28 .. 9·55 .. 10·02 .. 10·45
                              Christchurch " .. 11·35 .. 13·32 .. 10·49 .. 10·36 .. 8·60 .. 10·82
                              Dunedin " .. 9·07 .. 8·60 .. 7·27 .. 8·74 .. 7·21 .. 8·18

Specific Febrile and Zymotic Diseases.—The mortality from these diseases was lower at each of the four centres in 1905 than in the previous year. The total deaths in this class were 115 for 1905 and 202 for 1904.

Deaths from Febrile and Zymotic Diseases.

Auckland and Wellington and Christchurch and Dunedin and Total.
Suburbs. Suburbs. Suburbs. Suburbs.

1905 .. .. .. 45 .. 34 .. 27 .. 9 .. 115
1904 .. .. .. 52 .. 65 .. 36 .. 49 .. 202

Of the above, diarrhoeal diseases caused most deaths in 1905 at the four centres taken together, the total number being 44. Influenza came next with 13 deaths, typhoid fever 10, whooping-cough 2, diphtheria 8, scarlet fever 5, and other zymotic complaints 33.

Comparison of the deaths for each city, including suburbs, shows,—

Zymotic, &c., Diseases. Auckland. Wellington. Christchurch. Dunedin.
1905. 1904. 1905. 1904. 1905. 1904. 1905. 1904.
Diarrhoeal Diseases .. 21 24 .. 12 30 .. 9 21 .. 2 17
Influenza .. 3 4 .. 3 5 .. 4 3 .. 3 14
Typhoid Fever .. 7 9 .. 2 4 .. 1 2 .. .. 4
Measles .. .. .. 3 4 .. .. .. .. ..
Scarlet Fever .. 2 1 .. 3 3 .. .. .. .. ..
Bubonic Plague .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. ..
Diphtheria .. 3 3 .. 4 5 .. .. 2 .. 1 ..
Whooping-cough .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. 1 2
Other Zymotic Diseases .. 9 10 .. 10 14 .. 12 7 .. 2 12

Parasitic Diseases.—Hydatids were fatal at Christchurch (1 death) and at Dunedin (1 death).

Dietetic Diseases.—These numbered 18, 8 being due to want of breast-milk, scurvy, or malnutrition, 6 to alcoholism, and 4 to delirium tremens.

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