VITAL STATISTICS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1061, 21 November 1877, Page 3

VITAL STATISTICS.

The Registrar-General’s report; on vital jj statistics for the month of October shows the following to have been the proportion of j deaths to the thousand of population in each j of undermentioned towns of the colony; — | Auckland, TOB ; Thames, O'oo ; Wellington, j 2T7 ; Nelson, 1’62 ; Christchurch, T 25 ; [ Dunedin, I'2B ; Hokitika, 0'34. jj The births were (52 more than in September. The deaths were 11 more in number than the deaths in September. Of the deaths, males i contributed 52 ; females, 50 ; 46 of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age, being 42'50 per cent of the whole number; 20 of these were of children under 1 year of age. I There were 0 deaths of persons of 65 years of j age and over; 5 of these persons were i males and 4 females ; 1 female of 67 died at Auckland ; 3 males of 72, 73, and 75, and I. female of 74, died at Wellington ; 1 female of 76 at Christchurch; 2 males of 77 and 81, and 1 female of 70 at Dunedin. Wellington has the largest number both ot; births and of deaths, but the excess of the latter was due to the large number of violent, deaths, 8 out of the 10 which occurred in the whole colony being accredited to this city. They included, of course, the 7 victims of the two fatal fires. One octogenarian died during the mouth—a woman aged 81, at Dunedin. The j Registrar-General appends the following remarks; —“At the five most populous boroughs ; the death rates for October were higher than those for September ; Thames and. Hokitika are the exceptions. from zymotic diseases there were 28 deaths, or 23.02 percent. of the whole number- Tour deaths occurred from scarlatina at Dunedin against September ; but it is important to notice that; there were no deaths from the same cause at Hokitika, as nearly 50 per cent, of the total mortality at the latter town for eight previous months was the result of scarlatina. One death from diphtheria took place at W cllington, and ono at Christchurch. There was one death from typhoid fever at Wellington, and another at Nelson. T’rom diseases of the *

respiratory system, the deaths consisted oi ! 12 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia, 3 of winch occurred at Auckland, 2 at the Thames, 2 at Wellington, 1 at Christchurch, and 4 at Dunedin. 1 n the previous month there were .19 d eaths from similar causes, of which 7 took place at Dunedin. The total number of deaths tor October, 1877 (108), is 5 in excess of the number for October, 1876. Of zymotic diseases, scarlatina was not so prevalent in October last as in October of the previous year. Diphtheria caused two deaths in October, 1877, but none in October, 1876. There were 35 deaths in the borough of "Wellington during October, 1877, against only 24 from all causes in October, 1876 ; but the n umber for last month is swelled by 7 accidental deaths from lire.

During the past year, we learn from the report of the Commissioner of Customs, the number of lives lost on or near the coast of the colony was 49—viz., 7 in the Clematis, 6 in the Kate Brain, 4 each in the Flying Cloud and Bonnie Lass, and 3 each in the Edward, Kaikoura, and Dante (all hands on these vessels being lost) ; 8 were lost in the William Akers, 2 from the Arthur Wakefield, and 1 each from the Moa, Acadia, Maori, Alhambra, Start, Strathnaver. Sir Donald, Eagle Wing, and Clematis. Eleven cases were reported which occurred beyond the colony, comprising two total wrecks (tonnage 124), four partial losses (tonnage 1390) and 5 cases of loss of life. The total number of lives lost being 14 —viz., 9 in the May Queen (lost with all hands), and one each from the Vallejo, England’s Glory, Florinda, Thurland Castle, and Duke of Sutherland.