AUCKLAND'S VITAL STATISTICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 274, 18 November 1910, Page 5

AUCKLAND'S VITAL STATISTICS.

■ m ■■! ■ A SATISFACTORY YEAR. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Public Health report, brought down this afternoon 'by the Hon. D. Buddo, contains interesting reference to the Auckland district. The District Health Officer, in compiling vital statistics as they relate to births and deaths, states that they deal only with the city of Auckland and the surrounding 'boroughs of Birkenhead, Devonport, Newmarket, Grey Lynn, Parnell, and Mount Eden. The mean papulation for the year 1909 in the above-mentioned boroughs upon which statistics referred to are based is: Auckland city, 43,021; suburban boroughs, 34,075; total, 77,096. The inclusion of other contiguous boroughs and road districts (Arch Hill, Eden Terrace, Epsom, Mt. Albert, Mount Roskill, Onetree Hill, Point Chevalier, Remuera, Ellerslie, Onehunga, and the Hospital Reserve—all of which are to be regarded as comprised in the area which may be known a_ "Greater Auckland," with the addition of 18.07 per 1,000 per annum (the natural increase during 1909) upon the population of those districts at the census of 1906, adds 22,133 to the foregoing figures, and produces a total of 99,229. But, as it is very well known that several of the suburban districts have extended in a manner altogether ibeyond what can be accounted for by natural increase, the town of Auckland has probably now considerably orer 100,000 souls. The average birth-rates per 1,000 of the population for ten years—l9oo-9— are: Auckland city, 30.28; Auckland and suburban boroughs, 28.28. The average death-rates per 1,000 of the population for ten years—l9oo-9— •re: Auckland city, 12.97; Auckland and suburban boroughs, 11.28. In the city and suburban boroughs during the year there were 74 deaths caused by zymotic diseases, 76 by cancer, and 58 from phthisis. Dr. R, H. Makgill, reporting on infectious diseases,. says: "As the total number of notifications of infectious disease is normal, and practically the same as in the previous year, there is some basis for comparison, so we find that Auckland city shows a' decrease all along the line, which is as might be expected in view of the efforts made towards better sanitation. Devonport, I regret to say, has seven cases of enteric fever, the first since the installation of drainage in 1902. Grey Lynn suffered severely in November and December as regards enteric cases, a total of 17 cases occurring in these months. At Newmarket the clearing-up process of 1907-8, with subsequent increased attention to sanitary matters, have no doubt contributed to the satisfactory result. Eden Terrace escapes with very few cases to it* debit. Thames county has suffered from typhoid fever, where, also, ac in tbe borough, there have been too many cases of diphtheria. Whangarei county •has again suffered from diphtheria." Dr. E. E. Roberts, medical superintendent at the Waikato Sanatorium, reports on the year's work as follows:—"At the close of the preceding year there remained in the Sanatorium 26 males and 16 females, 42 patients in all. During the year under review there were admitted 60 male and 37 female patients, so that a total of 139 patients received treatment during the year. Fifty-four males and 44 females were discharged, and seven patients (six males and one female) died during the same time. On the 3lst March, 1910, 34 patients were under treatment in the Institution, these consisting of 26 males and eight females. Of those discharged, 35 males and 32 females left the Sanatorium with their health very greatly improved, most of them being in a fit condition to return to ordinary life with a fair prospect of maintaining the improvement resulting from their treatment. Six males and five females improved to acme extent during their stay in the but their improvement could not be considered to be of a permanent character. Thirteen males and seven females showed no response to the treatment, receiving no apparent benefit to their health by their stay in the Institution."