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Infant Mortality — In the few comments I shall venture
to offer upon the above Table, I must refer more particularly
to the infant mortality, or rather to the high death-rate
exhibited by adding together the totals of the three columns
comprehending the number of deaths that have taken place
of children from birth to 10 years of age. These deaths
amounted in the past year to the large number of 631,
which very considerably exceeds half the number who died
at all ages. In the preceding year (1867) the number was
512, which is 119 less than were registered in the past
year.
Mortality amongst the Aged.—Rather more persons in
advanced life were registered in the past year than in 1867.
As many as 40 aged people succumbed to what may be
termed the weight of years alone, that is to say, their deaths
were registered without the mention of any actual disease
having afflicted them tending to shorten life. About the
same number of persons appear to have died from disease or
accident, whose ages varied from 70 to 80, and from 80
upwards. Of the total number of aged persons dying of
diseases as well as of old age or natural decay, there were 4
who at the time of death exceeded 90 years of age, the
oldest being 97. The united ages of these 4 persons
amounted to 370 years, thus giving an average of nearly
93 years to each. Making the calculation to embrace the
entire number of aged people, from 62 years of age (the
age of the youngest of those said to have died of natural
decay) to 97 (the age of the oldest recorded in the register
of the past year) the average age at death would be 86
years. These statistics are perhaps more curious than
important, but they show, notwithstanding the drawbacks
that may be supposed to operate within the Sub-district
against the attainment of long life amongst the labouring
classes, that numbers of the inhabitants reach a ripe old age.
Zymotic Diseases.—The diseases of this class were, I
regret to report, fatal in a very large number of instances,
225 in the past year against 143 in the year preceding. The
year 1868 was quite an exceptional one, in respect to the