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16
It will be seen from Table A 1 that there is a disproportionately
high number of deaths in the Southern Division, after making
allowance for the difference in the populations of the two Divisions.
This is doubtless largely due to the fact that the birth-rate for the
Southern Division is, and has been for years, considerably in excess
of that for the Northern Division—for many of the diseases which
are most fatal in the Southern Division are such as mainly give rise
to mortality in early life. The Southern Division will, for other
reasons, continue to furnish a disproportionately high mortality as
compared with the Northern, for its population includes more of the
poorer classes, and is much more dense both as regards the number of
houses to a given area and the number of occupants to each dwelling.
The loose manner in which the cause of death is sometimes
registered makes it a difficult matter to compile tables such as the
above with the absolute accuracy which is so desirable.
For instance, in three cases during the year the cause of death
was registered as from two distinct diseases, apparently co-existent,
i.e., "Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria," "Acute Rheumatism and Enteric
Fever," "Pertussis and Diarrhoea" Doubtless the symptoms of
one complaint were predominant just before death, and if this
circumstance were indicated it would be far easier for those who
have to classify these returns to decide which disease could be most
justly credited with the death, for the purposes of such classification.
Again, during the year seven deaths were ascribed solely to "old
age," when the ages at death fell between 71 and 77 years. Deaths
between 70 and 80 are mainly due to some defined malady, and
surely some condition existed to which these deaths could be ascribed
apart from a gradual decay of nature. "Convulsions," "Exhaustion,"
"Hypertrophy of Heart" are all further instances of loose certification.
Each of these conditions is a symptom of some disease, the nature of
which no indication was given. One infant was certified as dying
from " Dentition " at the age of 1 month.
It will be noted that in Table A 2 a comparison of the number
of deaths from different causes in the years 1897 and 1896 is shown,