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giving in this case a majority of 52 to the males. Whilst
upon this subject, I may mention the fact that all the
deaths taking place in the Sub-district are, without exception,
duly registered, but that the machinery of the birth
registration is so faulty as to allow, to my certain knowledge,
a rather considerable number of infants every year
to escape the ordeal altogether. This is assuredly a great
evil, but it is one which I am pleased to find the Legislature
intends to deal with very shortly.
Death-rate, &c.—The late Census, taken in April of the
past year, gave to this Sub-district a population of 27,348.
If these figures be duly corrected for increase of population,
an approximate estimate of the death-rate for 1871
may be arrived at as being 22 per 1000 persons living.
That this is quite an exceptional rate is shown by the fact
that since 1861 (vide introductory table) it is rarely that
17 per 1000 has been exceeded.
The following table, on the same form as the Health
Officers have made use of for many years in all their local
summaries, exhibits, in a clear concise manner, the statistics
of mortality for this Sub-district. It constitues, in
fact, an epitomised annual local report in itself, and by its
comprehensiveness obviates much tedious repetition and
lengthened description.