H.—3l

The diseases in this class that have caused the greatest mortality during the past ten years are stated in the table that follows. Of these, diarrhoeal complaints were by far the most fatal, causing 2,282 deaths in the decennial period. Influenza comes next, with 1,319 deaths ; typhoid fever third, with 838 deaths ; whooping-cough fourth, with 579 deaths ; measles fifth, with 505 deaths : diphtheria next, 472 deaths ; scarlet fever, with 228 deaths ; and puerperal fever, with 201 deaths :—

The mortality from measles from 1896 to 1898 was not great, but rose to 137 deaths in 1899, falling again to 9 deaths in 1900 and 6 deaths in 1901, again rising to 134 in 1902, and further to 143 deaths in 1903. During 1904 and 1905 thie disease was not epidemic in the colony, and caused only ten and eight deaths respectively. From scarlet fever and scarlatina there were only 10 deaths last year, as compared with 131 in 1903, and 13 in 1904. The mortality from diphtheria, which was 74 deaths in 1896, fell to 35 deaths in 1905, the figures for the intervening years not presenting any striking features. Whooping-cough in 1896, 1897, and 1898, caused 32 deaths. In 1899 the mortality sprang up again to a total of 123 deaths, against 90 in 1900, 9in 1901, and 83 in 1902. In 1903 the mortality was heavy, the number of deaths being 204, but in 1904 only 35 deaths are recorded from this complaint, while last year the number was further reduced to 3 deaths. The deaths from influenza numbered 7in 1905, as against 113 in the previous year. The figures for the eight previous years ranged from 89 to 219, the last being for the years 1898 and 1901. From diarrhoeal complaints the deaths in 1905 were 128, against 193 in 1904; while in 1896 the mortality reached the height of 334 deaths, and in 1889 was even higher (355), with a much smaller population than in 1905. Enteric or typhoid fever was less fatal in 1905 than in 1904, the figures being 45 deaths, against 73. The highest mortality during the decennium was in 1896, when the deaths numbered 124 for the colony. BUBONIC PLAGUE. The year 1900 saw the outbreak of the disease known as the bubonic plague in Sydney and other parts of Australia. In that year there was one death from plague in New Zealand, which occurred in Auckland. None happened in the year 1901, but three deaths from this cause, all males, were registered at Auckland during 1902. No deaths from plague were recorded in 1903, but one death occurred in 1904. Last year no deaths were ascribed to this cause. The Public Health Department is taking every possible precaution. [In no instance has the disease spread beyond the single case.] VACCINATION. The vaccinations registered for the last ten years are as under : — Total Proportion of Vaeoinations T7 ~ Successful Vaccinations of registered *,r\;^ r ° Number of , ■ , Year. of Children 0I „'i" Births Children under Children under under 1V „«*„„ registered. 14 Years of Age 1 Year of Age to 14 Years of J. * ear or Age. to Total Births. Total Births. Age. Per Cent. Per Cent. 1905 ... 3,818 2,079 23,682 16-12 8-78 1904 ... 18,368 2,323 22,766 80-68 10-20 1903 ... 11,683 5,566 21,829 5352 25-50 1902 ... 8,763 2,611 20,655 42-43 1264 1901 ... 3,768 1,984 20,491 18-39 9-68 1900 ... 4,525 3,151 19,546 2315 16-12 1899 ... 5,133 3,379 18,835 27-25 17-94 1898 ... 10,349 5,507 18,955 54-60 2905 1897 ... 12,440 6,162 18,733 66-41 32-89 1896 ... 11,917 5,727 18,612 6403 30-78 The number of successful vaccinations of children registered in 1905 was 3,818, against 18,368 in 1904. The fall prior to 1902 was consequent on the alteration of the law relative to vaccination in England, and subsequently in this colony, while the increase shown for the three years 1902-4 was no doubt due to a slight visitation of small-pox from abroad, which caused one death in 1903.

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Diseases. 1896. ; 189Y. 1898. i 1899. 1900. ! 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. i I Measles Scarlet fever and scarlatina Diphtheria Whooping-cough Influenza Diarrhceal diseases Enteric or typhoid fever... Puerperal fever 1 4 74 24 89 334 124 10 1 2 49 2 120 257 106 18 56 2 45 6 219 275 120 19 137 9 10 63 90 181 199 68 24 6 17 44 9 219 139 95 20 134 39 54 83 117 275 53 25 : 143 ! 131 23 204 56. 184 61 ! 28 10 13 27 35 113 193 73 21 8 10 35 3 70 128 45 21 58 123 135 298 93 15