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76
Respiratory Organs. The deaths from Phthisis alone were
two in excess of those of the preceding year, 17 cases
having occurred against 15 recorded in the last Report,
During the year there were bom in the Sub-district,
290 children—148 males and 142 females. The excess of
births over deaths was, therefore, 134, the birth-rate 27.8,
and the rate of natural increase 12.8 per 1000.
It is not often that a decline in the number of births
has to be reported. The number has varied very considerably
during the past ten years; but, contrasting the
first with the last of these ten years, it must be admitted
it is no inconsiderable leap from 191 to 290 of these events.
On the vires acquirit eundo principle, and looking at the
great yearly influx of new residents, it is but reasonable
to look forward to a great increase of these events every
year ; but it is a fact that a less number of births by 30
took place in the past year than in the previous one. With
then more deaths and fewer births, it can excite no
surprise that the past year should yield a rather less
favourable Report than did the year 1873.
Zymotic Diseases—their Prevalence and Fatality.—
The first and most important point to consider, with
reference to the annexed tables, is the fatality during the
year of the Zymotic class of diseases. The number of
deaths from the principal epidemics was 10 only; but it
should be remarked that 4 of these were really not of a
strictly epidemic character, being isolated cases of infantile
diarrhoea incident to difficult dentition.
The following table will show the percentage of
deaths from the seven principal epidemics to deaths from
all causes in comparison with the same statistics tabulated
during the ten preceding years:—