VITAL STATISTICS.

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 162, 30 November 1896, Page 2

VITAL STATISTICS.

The Registrar-General's return of vital statistics for the month of October gives the number of births and deaths and proportion of deaths to 1000 of population as follows for the several boroughs : —

The total births in the above boroughs amounted to 372, against 404 in September, a decrease of 32. The deaths in October were 168, an increase of 13 on the number in September. Of the total deaths, males contributed 81, females 87. Thirty-seven of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age, being 2202 per cent, of the whole number; 31 of these were under 1 year of age. There were 44 deaths of persons of 65 years and upwards: seven men, 66, 72, 75 (two), 76, 79, 83, and six women, 66 (two), 70, 74, 77, died at Auckland; four men, 66, 67, 68, 77, and three women, 71, 72, 81, at Wellington ; three men, 65, 68, 86, and six women, 68, 69, 70, 76, 80, 82, at Christchurch; and nine men, 65 (two), 68 (two), 71, 72, 74, 86, 88, and six women, 66, 67, 75 (two), 78, 90, at Dunedin. The deaths from specific febrile and zymotic diseases in the four centres and their suburbs were only 10 in October, against 13 in September and 15 in August. Influenza caused 2 deaths last month, 1 at Wellington and lat Dunedin. Diphtheria, 4 : 2 at Wellington, and 2at Dunedin. The mortality from diarrhceal diseases was at a minimum, consisting of 1 death only, which occurred at Christchurch. The remaining deaths belonging to this class include one (of a child) from congenital syphilis, one from pysemia, and another from septiexmia. Constitutional diseases show an increase from 33 in December to 44 in October. Phthisis is accountable for 24 deaths in the later month, and cancer contributed 12 deaths. - The deaths from local diseases numbered 85. including 14 from diseases of the nervous system (4 apoplexy, 6 paralysis) ; 1 from disease of the organs of special sense (otitis) ; 27 from diseases of the oirculatory system (26 heart disease and syncope) ; 23 from diseases of the respiratory system (all bronchitis and pneumonia); 10 from diseases of the digestive system ; 6 from of the urinary system; (4 Brigh't's) ; 1 from disease of the reproductive system ; 2 from disea?es of the organs of locomotion ; and 1 from disease of the integumentary system. Out of a total of 8 violent deaths, 6 were accidental and 2 suicidal. A cook was killed by falling out of an hotel window, and a message boy was killed by a fall from the bannisters of a staircase ; another boy was accidentally shot with a pistol; a horsetrainer and a ship's cook were found drowned ; an infant died from haemorrhage at the navct. One suicide was that of a woman who took strychnine, and the other that of a labourer who hanged himself, both being cases of temporary insanity.

Births. Deaths. p^ n Thames 14 4 094 New Plymouth... 12 4 TOS Napier 24 12 1-30 Wanganui ... 12 5 o'B4 Palmerston N. ... 15 3 0-51 Blenheim ... 9 6 T99 Nelson 14 4 o'6o Greymouth „. 7 3 097 Hokitika ... 10 — — Lyttelton ,~ 10 2 0-51 Timaru ... ,- 10 1 o'2B Oamaru ... 7 6 115 Invercargill „, 12 2 036 The figures tor the four principal cities were . — Births. Deaths. Auckland ... 68 20 092 "Wellington ... 100 44 I'lß Christchurch ... 25 16 094 Dunedin ... 49 22 096 With regard to the four cities, the figures are also given including their suburbs, as follows : — Births. Deaths. Auckland and 5 suburban boroughs... 96 41 094 Wellington with 3 suburban boroughs 110 46 l'lO Christohurch with 4 boroughs and other suburbs 65 30 0*73 Dunedin with 8 suburban boroughs... 101 61 l"08