XXIX

EL—3l

Table showing the Number of Deaths from Cancer registered in each Provincial District of the Colony of New Zealand during the Years 1902-5.

The death-rates for cancer in respect of each sex are given for each of ten years, selected to show the position as from 1886 to 1905 : — Deaths from Cancer in every 10,000 Persons of each Sex living in New Zealand. Year Males. Females. . Year. Males. Females. 1886 3-69 3-67 1901 6-48 6 77 1890 .. 4-72 4-79 1902 ... ... 7-05 6-35 1894 6-65 5-27 1903 ... ... 7-51' 6-63 1898 6-77 5-98 1904 7-23 6-23 1899 ... 6-85 . 5-56 1905 ... ... 679 6-18 1900 ... ... 6-12 5-09 The mortality was higher among the males than among the females (with the exception of 1890 and 1901), which is the reverse of English experience, where the rate was 7-32 per 10,000 of males and 10-03 of females for the year 1903. In the United Kingdom, however, the rate of increase is so much higher among males than with females that the Registrar-General calculates equilibrium will be reached in about the year 1932, and thereafter the rate among males would exceed the rate among females. The increase in the numbers for the sexes together for England and New Zealand is represented in the proportions below :— Deaths from Cancer in every 10,000 Persons living. Year New Zealand. England. ! Year. New Zealand. England. 1881 ... 2-69 520 1899 6-24 8-29 1886 ... 3-68 5-90 1900 ... ... 5-63 8-28 1891 . . ... 4-68 6-92 1903 ... ... 7-10 8-71 1896 5-50 7-64 The actual number of deaths of persons of either sex and all ages registered in New Zealand during the last fifteen years was :— Males. Females. Totals. j Males. Females. Totals. 1891 154 141 295 1900 246 184 430 1892 173 134 307 1901 ... ... 265 250 515 - 1893 '.'.'. ... 188 144 332 1902 296 240 536 1894 240 168 408 1903 325 257 582 1895 . 208 175 383 1904 323 248 571 1896 ... 205 184 389 1905 313 253 566 1897 210 185 395 1898 ... ... 263 208 471 Totals ... 3,680 2,968 6,648 1899 ... ... 271 197 468 MORTALITY FROM DEVELOPMENTAL DISEASES. The total of deaths from developmental diseases was 979, or 11-25 per 10,000 persons living. The mortality from premature birth comprised 360 deaths, and that from atelectasis, cyanosis, and other congenital defects 41 deaths. The proportion of deaths from premature birth varies from 11 to 15 out of every 1,000 births, and that from congenital defects from 2to 4 per 1,000 births. Particulars for ten years exhibit the annual rates :— Number and Proportions per 1,000 Births. Deaths from Premature Birth. Deaths from Congenital Defects. „ , Proportion m,,™k«.- Proportion Year. Number. per 1,000. Number. per 1000--1896 ' ••• 230 12-36 ... 46 2-47 1897 ... ... 211 11-26 ... 52 2-78 1898 ... ••■ 251 13-24 ... 54 285 1899 ... 261 13-86 ... 47 2-50 1900 ... •■• 276 1412 ... ,55 2-81 1901 264 12-88 ... 63 3-07 1902 303 14-66 ... 79 3-82 1903 301 13-79 ... 67 307 1904 291 12-78 ... 58 2-54 1905 360 15-20 ... 41 1-73 v—H. 31.

1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. Provincial Districts. Under j Over ™ . . 5 Years. ! 5 Years. Total - i ! Under Over „ . , i Years. 5 Years. 1<Ha ' Under 5 Years. YeZ S . T °^ Under Over T . , 5 Years. 5 Years. lolaL Auckland Taranaki Hawke's Bay Wellington ... Marlborough Nelson Westland Canterbury ... Otago ... 115 24 15 95 7 33 19 98 130 115 ! 24 15 95 7 33 19 98 130 536 1 117 21 26 107 6 28 35 105 136 117 21 26 108 6 28 35 105 136 1 114 21 25 113 5 32 16 109 134 115 21 25 113 5 32 16 109 135 ... 110 20 16 106 6 25 10 112 160 110 20 16 106 6 25 10 112 161 1 1 I Totals ... 536 1 ! 581 582 2 569 571 1 565 566