H.'—3l

Omitting the deaths of infants under one year, and calculating the rate on the population of one year of age and upwards, all the four boroughs again show lower rates for 1904 than in the previous year. Deaths per i,OOO of Population, excluding Infants (under One Year of Age). 1903.. . 1904. Auckland (excluding suburbs) ... ... ... ... 9-45 924 Wellington „ ... ... ... ... 8-84 8-42 Christchureh „ ... ... ... ... 8-83 7-87 Dunedin „ ... ... ... ... 1361 1190 Subjoined is a table showing the rates of infant mortality in the four cities for the past five years, together with the mean rates for the period. Deaths of Children under One Year to every 100 Births. 1900. 1901. 19052. 1903. . 1904. Fi^ e y"-°t a - Auckland (excluding suburbs) 14-49 11-57 15-41 12-08 6-93 12-10 Wellington „ 6-65 10-43 12-97 928 955 9-78 Christchureh „ 11-99 11-35 1332 10-49 1036 11-50 Dunedin „ 8-37 907 860 7-27 8-74 8-41 Causes of Death at Four Centres, including Suburbs. While treating of the death-rates at the chief cities and surroundings, it is desirable to refer to the causes of mortality, which is done in the remarks that follow. The deaths for the whole colony, classified according to their cause, are treated of at length a little further on. Specific Febrile and Zymotic Diseases (at Four Chief Centres). The mortality from these diseases at Wellington, with its suburbs, was higher in 1904 than in the previous year, but for Auckland, Christchureh, and Dunedin much lower. The total deaths in this class were 256 for 1903 and 202 for 1904 at the four centres. Deaths from Febrile and Zymotic Diseases. 1903. 1904. Auckland and suburbs ... ... ... ... ... 86 52 Wellington „ ... ... ... ... ... 52 65 Christchureh „ ... ... ... ... ... 58 36 Dunedin „ ... ... ... ... ... 60 49 256 202 Of the abovej diarrhceal diseases caused most deaths in 1904 at the four centres taken together, the total number being 92. Influenza came next, with 26 deaths, typhoid fever 19, whooping-cough 3, measles 4, diphtheria 10, scarlet fever 4, bubonic plague 1, and other zymotic complaints 43. Comparison of the deaths for each city, including suburbs, shows, — „ ~ . _. Auckland. Wellington. Christchureh. Dunedin. Zymotic, <sc, .Diseases. igog 19Q4 _ lgQg _ lgQ4 lgog WOi lgog lg(M Diarrhceal diseases ... ... 42 24 22 30 10 21 4 17 Influenza ... 4 4 2 5 2 3 7 14 Typhoid fever 8 9 5 4 2 2 14 Measels 6 ... 3 4 17 .. 2 ... Scarlet fever ... ... 2 1 6 3 12 ... 30 ... Bubonic plague ... 1 Diphtheria ... ... 3 2 5 ... 2 3 ... Whooping-cough ... ... 17 ... 5 ... 7 1 ... 2 Other zymotic diseases ... 7 10 7 14 8 7 13 12 Parasitic Diseases (at Four Chief Centres). Hydatids were fatal at Auckland (1 death), at Wellington (2 deaths), at Christchureh (2 deaths), and at Dunedin (3 deaths). There were also 1 death at Wellington from aphthae, and 1 from worms at Auckland. Dietetic Diseases (at Four Chief Centres). These numbered 15, 6 being due to want of breast-milk, or malnutrition, 8 to alcoholism, and 1 to delirium tremens. Constitutional Diseases (at Four Chief Centres). The deaths at the four cities numbered 496 in 1904. The first in importance of these diseases, and of all causes of death, is tubercle. The figures for 1903 and 1904 show 250 and 2*59 deaths for each year respectively. '....■' , Phthisis and other Tubercular Diseases (at Pour Chief Centres.) i , 1903. —i r. 1904. ; • : Other Other Phthisis. Tubercular Phthisis. Tubercular Diseases. Diseases. Auckland and suburbs... ... 38 24 45 10 Wellington „ ... 46 12 50 18 Christchureh „ 37 11 42 16 Dunedin „ 53 29 51 27 174 76 188 71

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