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55
1887-91, and 1 in excess of that for 1892-96. The
mortality (0.90) was 0.05 above the mean.
DEATHS OF INFANTS UNDER ONE YEAR
OF AGE.
In Table 20, the deaths of these children have
been classified under the principal causes, and set out
in comparison with the averages for the preceding
deceunium and the two quinquennia therein included.
The total of such deaths during the year was 448—
24 in excess of the annual average for the preceding
decennium, and 43 in excess of the annual average
for the five years 1887-91. If the decennial averages
be multiplied by the factor 1.027 to correct for the
difference between the annual average number of
births during 1887-96 (2,930) and the number
recorded last year (3,010), the "corrected" annual
averages given in the last column but one of
Table 20 will be obtained. On this basis, last year's
deaths (448) were twelve in excess of the annual
average, whilst the infantile mortality, calculated
per 1,000 births registered, was 4 above the
decennial mean (144).
Infantile Diarrhoea.—A good deal was written
on this subject in the Annual Report for 1895
(pages 92 et seq.), and it will suffice here to deal
only with the special phenomena of the year to
supplement what was written in the Report mentioned.