3

H.—3l

Vital Statistics. 1 beg to emphasize again the need for more accurate information as to the birth and death rates in the different districts. Beyond the Registrar-General's monthly returns for the principal centres there are no available statistics. It would be of great assistance if the returns were sent to the Health Office by the Registrars of the different districts, so that it would be possible to detect and inquire into any unusual mortality. Birth-rate. The Registrar-General's return for 1902 gives a mean for the four principal centres of 26-23 births per 1,000 —Auckland being highest with 29-64, a considerable increase over that of last year Death-rate. The returns for 1902 show a mean death-rate for the whole colony of 105 per 1,000 of population, and for the four principal centres (including their suburbs) of 12-74, considerably higher than last year (11-50). Comparing Auckland and suburbs with the average of the four centres for the last four years we get the following result :— Auckland Auckland Average of and Suburbs. City alone. Four Centres. 1899 ... ... ... ... 12-00 13-00 11-50 1900 ... ... ... ... 11-81 13-60 10-71 1901 ... ... ... ... 11-80 1310 11-50 1902 ... ... ... ... 15-27 17-21 12-74 There was, then, a somewhat alarming increase in the death-rate last year, more especially in Auckland City, where it reaches closely the average for England and Wales. This increase was not confined to infantile mortality—always a prominent feature of the Auckland death-rate—as the following figures (giving deaths exclusive of infants under one year) show :— Auckland Average of the and Suburbs. Four Centres. 1898 ... ... ... ... ... ... 8-97 8-94 1899 ... ... ... ... ... ... 8-40 8-68 1900 ... ... ... ... ... - ... 8-26 8-27 1901 ... ... ... ... ... ... 8-65 8-96 1902 ... ... ... ... ... ... 11-10 9-56 In the previous four years Auckland's death-rate (excluding infants) compared favourably with that of the other centres. Infant Mortality. As I pointed out last year, this is unusually high in Auckland, and in 1902 the deaths under one year to every 100 births reached 14-07, which is almost identical with the proportion in England and Wales in the decade 1887-97. Considering that this return includes the rates in large centres, such as London and Liverpool, with their poverty and overcrowding, it is by no means a flattering comparison for so small a town as Auckland. The percentage of deaths under five years to the total deaths works out as follows : — Auckland Mean in and Suburbs. other Centres. 1900 ... ... ... ... ... ... 36-22 24-01 1901 ... ... ... ... ... ... 3015 26-51 1902 ... ... ... ... ... ... 38-47 30-37 Since the birth-rate is higher in Auckland, the following table, giving the deaths under one year to every 100 births is the fairest proof of the high infant mortality in Auckland :— Auckland ~., , Mean in and Suburbs. ° lty alone ' other Three Contres. 1898 ... ... ... ... ... 15-10 17-14 10-90 1899 ... ... ... ... ... 14-17 14-47 11-78 1900... ... ... ... ... 12-78 14-49 8-70 1901 ... ... ... . . ... 9-88 11-57 9-65 1902... ... ... ... ... 14-07 1407 11-23 Means for five years ... ... 13-20 14-35 1045 Taking the year April, 1902, to March, 1903, 38 per cent, of the total deaths under five years in the four centres occurred in Auckland ; while in the hot months — November, December January, and February—the proportion rose to 53 per cent, of the total. causes of death. Zymotic Death-rate. In 1902 the deaths in the Auckland District from this cause nearly equalled in number those occurring in the other three centres together. The figures for the last five years are, — -.._.-.,,__ mj.ii Proportion of Deaths Deaths in Auckland Total of in Auckland, and Suburbs. Four Centres. per Q ent 1898 ... ... ... ... 117 304 ' 37 1899 ... ... ... ... HO 360 30 1900 93 214 42 1901 ... ... ... ... 70 209 33 1902 ... ... ... ... 165 356 46 Means for five years ... 11l 285 39