VITAL STATISTICS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4312, 22 March 1901, Page 3

VITAL STATISTICS

FIGURES FOR THE YEAR

THE REGISTRAR-GENBRAL’ S

• REPORT. The Rc'dstrrr-Goiiorul’s repdrt on tho vital statistics of the four chief towns of New Zealand for the year 1900 appears in this week’s “Gazette. Inc number of births in these centres ana suburbs and the proportion of births tc copulation wore as follow; Auckland, 3380 births (27.83 per 1000); Wellington. 1243 births (25.33 per 1000) ; Christchurch, 1127 births (24.0 G per 1000); Dunedin, 1120 births (22.16 per 1000). The mean birth-rate for the four centres was 24.84 per 1000. The total_ births amounted to 4375, as against 4563 for the previous year. Exclusion or the suburban boroughs lowers the birth-rate at Dunedin and Christchurch, and increases it at A ellington and AucklandThe birth-rate for the whole colony was 25.60 per 1000, and Auckland is thus the only large centre over the average. The following table shows tho fluctuations of the birth-rate per 1000 at the four cities (without suburbs) for the last five years:

The deaths recorded at the chief Cities with their suburbs for the year and the, rate per 1000 of mean population were as follow : —Auckland, 58S deaths (11.81 per 1000); Wellington, 437 (8-91 per 1000); Christchurch, 506 (10.81 per 1000); Dunedin, 573 (11.34 per 1000): moan death rate, 10.72 per 1000.. The total deaths in the four cities were thus 2104 as against 2254 for the preceding year. The death-rate for the whole colony was 9.43 pier 1000 of population. By excluding the deaths of infants the rate is reduced in each centre as follows; —Auckland, 8.26 per 1000; 'Wellington, 7.05 per 1000; Christchurch, 8.20 per 1000; Dunedin, 9.68 per 1000, and in each case the rate is lower than 1 for the preceding year. Infantile mortality also shows a decrease as disclosed by the following rates per 100 births for the last two years: —Auckland, 1899 14.17, 1900 12.78; 'Wellington, 1899 11.79, 1900 7.32; Christchurch, 1899 14.30, 1900 10.83; Dunedin, 1899 9-25, 1900 7.95. These figures are for deaths of children under one year of age. Deaths of children under five years of age bear the following proportion to the total number of deaths: —Auckland, 0'6.22 per cent.; Wellington, 23.80 per cent. ; Christchurch, 20.05 per cent.; Dunedin, 19.20 per cent. The number of deaths under five years was 574, or 27.28 per cent, of the whole deaths, as against V-iO, or 31.94 per cent, for 1899; Excluding the suburbs the death rates per 10UU for the principal centres for the last four years have been as follows :

Coming to tlie causes of death, we find that at all of tho centres the deaths from zymotic diseases were fewer than in 1899, the total deaths froju febrile and zymotic diseases amounting to only 214 as against 860 for the previous year. In Wellington the deaths from this class of disease decreased from 62 in 1899 to 37 in 19C0. Of tl?e deaths in this class 93 wore clue to diorrhqeal diseases, 38 to influenza, 21 to diphtheria, 21 to typhoid, and eight to whooping cough. In Wellington there, wore ,11 deaths from diarrhoea! diseases, weight from typhoid, six from diphtheria, and five from influenza. There were only four parasitic diseases during the year. Of the 25 dietetic diseases 16 were due to alcoholism and delirium tremens; four from alcoholism occurring at Wellington. Of 457 deaths from constitutional diseases 266 were due to phthisis and other tubercular diseases. ■ Wellington (with 57) stands at the top for deaths from phthisis, and Dunedin (28) for other tubercular diseases. Deaths from cancer decreased from 151 in 1899 to 145 in 1900, Wellington and suburbs contributing 36. Diabetes caused 15 deaths, diseases 193, diseases of the respiratory system 182, diseases of the digestive system, 181, of the urinary system 82, of the nervous system 256, of the circulatory system 272, and of the reproductive system 31. There were 110 violent deaths, 90 being accidental, seven homicidal and 13 suicidal. The deaths of persons of 65 years and upwards numbered .'505, divided as follows:—6s years to 70, 164; 70 to 76, 122' 75 to 80, 110; 80 to 86,64; 85 to 90, 33 ; 90 and upwards, 12.

189C 1897 1838 1839 1900 Auckland 28.39 28.29 26.96 25.77 29.31 Wellington 26.81 27.71 25.75 2-1.21 25-76 Cli’ch ... 21.81 21.88 22.07 18.74 21.51 JJnnedin... 21.83 21.51 21.Cl 20.82 22.07

1897 1838 1899 1909 Auckland . 12.99 14.22 13.02 13.69 Wellington . . 12.03 12.47 11.16 9.17 Oil'd!, . 13.15 10.87 12.68 10.62 Dunedin . 11.81 12.73 13.47 12.25