H.—3l

20

This is satisfactory —the death-rate having steadily declined since 1902—the more so as this year the drop is chiefly due to a decline in the infant-mortality, sis the following two tables indicate : — Death-rate, excluding Children under One Year. Wellington Average for and Suburbs. Four Centres. 1902 ... ... ... ... ... ... 8-86 9-56 1903 ... ... ... ... ... ... 8-27 9-14 1904 ... ... ... ... ... ... 7-89 8-30 1905 ... ... ... ... ... ... 7-38 8-02 1906 ... ... ... ... ... ... 7-23 8-35 Mean for five years ... ... ... 7"92 8 - 67 Infant Mortality (to every 100 Births). Wellington Wellington Mean in City. and Suburbs. Pour Centres. 1902 ... ... ... ... 12-97 13-02 12-08 1903 ... ... ... ... 928 9-27 9-61 1904 ... ... .. ... 9-55 9-53 8"94 1905 ... ... ... ... 10-02 9-62 8-66 1906 ... ... ... ... 7-11 7-19 7-61 Mean for five years... ... 9-79 972 9-38 It is also satisfactory to note that, while there has been a marked drop in the general infantmortality within the four centres of population in the last year, the rate for Wellington in 1906 was below the average for other centres —contrary to the usual state of affairs. Zymotic Death-rate. Only 22 deaths from zymotic diseases were recorded this year in Wellington and suburbs, making the rate to general deaths 17 per cent., a very low proportion and highly satisfactory, and this in spite of the fact that scarlet fever has been somewhat prevalent. The mean for the previous five years was 61 deaths. Deaths in Total of Proportion of Wellington Four J^XS, and Suburbs. Centres. cfnt 1902 ... ... ... ... ... 108 356 30 1903 ... ... ... ... ... 52 256 20 1904 ... ... ... ... ... 65 202 32 1905 ... ... ... ... ... 34 115 29 1906 ... ... ... ... ... 22 133 17 Mean for five years ... ... 56 212 26 The zymotic rate in other centres was slightly higher than last year, but yet is law throughout the colony. Causes of Death from Zymotic Disease. Diarrhoea. —That only 2 deaths should have occurred from this complaint this year is very striking. Last year there were 12, and the previous year 30. This diminution accounts for the very low zymotic death-rate. It is perhaps too soon to express a hope that this great decrease is due to the attention lately drawn to the importance of pure milk and proper diet in the upbringing ol' 'infants. Certainly there is no such proportionate improvement in the milk-supply, although the conditions under which it is collected and distributed have been to some extent bettered. It is, however, necessary to add 33 deaths from gastritis and enteritis, which are not classed us zymotic diseases in the Registrar-General's returns. Twenty-seven of these were in children under five years. Last year the same number of deaths appear under their headings, so that the diminution shown under the heading of diarrhoea is actual, and not due to difference in notation. The total of deaths from diarrhoea in the four centres was 29 this year, as against 44 last, the bulk of this diminution therefore being due to the low death-rate in Wellington. Measles. —No deaths have been registered as from this cause during the last two years. Diphtheria, with 5 deaths, shows an increase over last year, with 4. There were 13 in the four centres; therefore, Wellington shows as before an undue proportion. There were 45 cases ol this disease notified; the case death-rate was, therefore, 11 per cent. Though the number of deaths has increased, the actual number of cases notified has decreased from 65 in 1905 to 45 this year. The increased mortality is not perhaps worthy of comment, for, with such small numbers for one's data, the probable error is very great. Scarlet Fever was the notified cause of death in but 1 case, as against 3in 1905. This is low, especially as the number notified this year showed an increase of 72 over the previous year. The other deaths from zymotic diseases are as follows: — Enteric Fever. —Four, as against 3 in 1905. Influenza. —Six, as against 3 in 1905. Other Zymotic Diseases. —Four, as against 10 in 1905. Whooping-cough. —For the fourth year no deaths are recorded as from this cause. As regards diseases other than zymotic, we find: — Cancer has increased from 47 in 1905 to 53 this year. Tubercle has increased from 42 in 1905 to 60 this year. From the latter cause there was a marked drop in 1905, 68 having been recorded in 1904.