H.—3l.
THE PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF DEATH. The following table gives the main causes of deaths last year in their order of magnitude, and the actual number of deaths therefrom. Total Deaths in New Zealand in 1930, 12,199. Causes. Actual Deaths. Heart-disease (all forms) . . .. .. . . .. 2,897 Cancer .. .. . . .. .. .. . . .. 1,452 Chest-disease— Pneumonia . . . . . . . . . . .. 429 Pneumonia secondary to influenza., whooping-cough, and measles 87 Bronchitis . . .. . . . . . . .. 268 Broncho-pneumonia . . .. . . . . . . 218 1,002 Violence .. . . . . . . . . .. . . .. 977 Tuberculosis (all forms) . . . . ... . . .. . . 649 Apoplexy or cerebral haemorrhage . . .. . . . . . . 659 Kidney or Bright's disease .. . . . . . . . . . . 567 Senility .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 418 Disease of the arteries .. . . . . . . . . .. 432 Diabetes .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . 223 Diseases and accidents of childbirth (i.e., maternal mortality) . . . . 136 Hernia and intestinal obstruction . . . . .. .. ... 95 Appendicitis . . . . . . .. . . .. .. 99 Diarrhoea and enteritis . . . . .. . . .. . . 77 Epilepsy .. .. . . .. ... . . .. .. 56 Common Infectious Diseases. Influenza (all forms, including pneumonic) . . . . . . . . 131 Diphtheria . . . . . . . . . . .. .. 58 Scarlet fever . . . . . . . . . . . . ■ . . 16 Typhoid fever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Whooping-cough . . . , .. .. . . . . . . 33 Measles ■'.'.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Infant Mortality. Infant deaths (under one year), all causes ... .. . . . . 924
The Principal Causes of Death itemized.
These diseases of the heart and arteries accounted for 3,988, or 32 per cent., of the total deaths. In 1929 they accounted for 29 per cent., and in 1928 28 per cent, of the total. Quite a proportion of these deaths apply to persons under sixty years of age. This appears to present a field worthy of special investigation by the Department. Cancer, 1,452. The following table, taken from the " New Zealand Official Year-book," shows the cancer deathrate in the Dominion for the last five years : —
Number of Persons who died from Cancer, the Proportion per 10,000 Persons living, and the Percentage of all Deaths, 1926-30.
6
Year. Cause. 1930. 1929. 1928. Heart-diseases (all forms) .. .. ... .. 2,897 2,533 2,315 Apoplexy or cerebral haemorrhage .. .. .. 659 634 643 Diseases of the arteries .. .. . . .. 432 428 394 3,988 3,595 3,352
t. ,, , ™, ln ,, Deaths from Deaths from , T Deaths from lotal Deaths, „ , nnm n inn Year. Cancer all Causes Cancer per 10,000 Cancer per 100 Lancer. all Urases. 0 f L ivmg p ersoM . of all Deaths. 1926 .. ... .. .. 1,341 11,819 9-91 11-35 1927 .. .. .. .. 1,324 11,613 9-63 1140 1928 .. .. .. .. 1,374 11,811 9-87 11-63 1929 .. .. .. .. 1,467 12,314 10-43 11-91 1930 .. .. .. .. 1,452 12,199 10-19 11-90