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There were also registered in the same year 858 births
(453 males and 405 females), the excess of births over
deaths being 376. In 1871, singular to say, this excess
numbered 257 only.
Death Rate.—Estimating the population after the method
adopted by the Registrar General for the middle of the
year 1872 as being 28,154, it follows that as the deaths
were 482, the rate per 1000 living is exactly 17.1. In the
previous year the rate was 22 per 1000.
Zymotic Diseases.—Of this class of diseases there resulted
in death a much less number than was registered in the
previous year, in the proportion of 137 to 192. It is rather
sad, however, to find that of these 137 deaths in the past
year, a very large proportion were of infants and young
children under 10 years of age, viz.:— 49 under one year,
63 from one to five years, and 7 from five to ten years,
making a total of 119, and leaving only 23 to be distributed
among the older persons dying from this class of diseases.
The reason of this high mortality from Zymotic disease
amongst children has so often been commented upon as to
leave nothing new to be said upon the subject. It is some
satisfaction, however, to find that in respect to the infant
mortality from all causes, there is a slight decrease in the
total number from that to be found in the table of my
report for 1871.
The following table is inserted to show the relative
numbers of deaths from the seven principal diseases of the
Zymotic class in the past year compared with those of the
10 preceding ones (1862 to 1871).