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under five years; during 1884, no less than 270 were so
registered, in great part from Diarrhoea, Measles and
Whooping Cough. Indeed the whole of the increased
mortality of 1884 arose from the excessive infantile mortality.
Nineteen persons were registered as dying from old age;
seventeen of whom died at 80 years and upwards.
Zymotic Diseases.—The year 1884 was characterised by an
excessive zymotic mortality during the hotter and drier
months of the year. The Meteorological Table in the
Appendix will shew that during the summer months the
mean temperature was 3°.0 Fahr. above the average, and
consequently deaths from diseases attended by Diarrhœa
were in excess, and outnumbered other diseases of the class.
Of the 93 deaths recorded from Diarrhœa, Dysentery or
Cholera, twelve, all infants under two years of age, were
registered as having died from infantile) Cholera.
I88418831882 1881 1880 1879 1878
Diarrhœa and Dysentery 93 5l 37 45 78 43 71
Measles 92 25 33 60 22 47 6
Whooping Cough 60 53 56 37 43 39 63
Fevers Enteric 25 14 14 17 15 13 12
Typhus 2
Scarlatina 17 17 36 20 63 44 19
Croup 10 15 3 4 4 9 12
Diphtheria 7 6 7 3 2 6 4
Erysipelas 7 1 3 6 4 4 0
Metria (Child-birth) 3 3 4 8 5 12 2
Small-Pox 3 0 0 17 1 1 5
Carbuncle 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Total 317 185 194 217 237 218 194
Zymotic death rate per
1,000 per annum. 4.96 3.0 3.2 3.7 4.3 3.9 3.7
Excessive temperature was associated with deficient rainfall,
the sum for the year being 7-33 inches below the average of 70
years. Each quarter of the year shewed abnormal dryness,