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18
3.04 per 1,000 of the population. The greatest part
of this amount was attributable to the seven principal
diseases of the epidemic kind.
Epidemic Diseases.—These diseases require more
than a passing notice not only in consequence of their
amenity to sanitary control, but also because, as the
death-rate is invariably found to fluctuate with their
greater or less prevalence, they furnish a means of
indicating to a great extent the sanitary state of a
locality. During the past year the deaths from those
diseases underwent a considerable diminution compared
with those of the two preceding years, and were less
than the preceding decennial average by more than 4 per
cent. They formed 14.7 per cent, of all deaths, with a
death-rate of 2.63 per 1,000 of the estimated population.
During the preceding year they formed 15.9 per cent,
of all deaths, with a death-rate of 2.79 per 1,000 of the
population.
A comparison of these death-rates is more
conveniently made in the following tabular form which
shews the reduction that has taken place during the past
six years:—
Death-rales of the seven principal epidemic diseases per
1,000 of the population 1878—82, compared with those oj
1883.
Years. Rate per 1000.
1878 3.22
1879 3.39
1880 3 .20
1881 2.72
1882 2.79
1883 2.63
Of the above-named diseases, Diarrhœa
was the
most fatal; the deaths from it however were 10 per cent.