Chapter IX.

Vital Statistics,

From the 1st of February^‡ to the 31st of December last year there were 420 deaths from all causes, being at the rate of 22.7 per 1000 per annum. Of these, 7.7 were due to zymotic-i.e., contagious or infectious diseases. Half of the deaths from zymotic diseases occurred in children under 5 years.

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The greatest number of deaths from zymotic diseases occurred during October, November, December, being principally due to measles.

By leaving these months out of our calculation, we find the annual death-rate to be, from zymotic causes, about 54, and from all causes, 20.3 per 1000 inhabitants, nearly a third of the latter occurring in children under five years of age.

Our annual excess of births over deaths is 29.6 per 1000, being 6.8 above the excess in England and Wales, a sufficient excess to double our population in 24 years.

Our death-rate is high, though out of 628 registration districts nine-tenths yielded a death rate ranging from 17 to 36 per 1000; but, on the other hand, there were 64 districts yielding a death-rate of 15 to 17 only.

A Preliminary Report is scarcely suited for more minute details, the which will be given in future and periodical reports.