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47
DEATHS IN RELATION TO DISEASE.
A list of the causes of deaths, with the ages at which they occurred, will be
found in Table III. of the Ministry of Health series on page 79. This Table
also shows the distribution of deaths according to cause in the various registration
sub-districts.
The following notes with regard to certain of the causes which contributed most
largely to the death rate, may be of interest.
DIARRHOEAL DISEASES.
The total number of deaths registered as due to diarrhoea and enteritis
(inflammation of the bowels), was 15, equal to 0.14 per 1,000 of the population.
As a general rule, the majority of deaths from this cause occur amongst infants,
and in 1923, as a matter of fact, all those who died, with the exception of 2, were
less than 1 year of age.
In 1922 the deaths from diarrhoeal diseases numbered 17, all the victims being
babies. In 1923, therefore, there was a reduction in the total.
The steady and remarkable reduction that is taking place year by year in the
number of deaths from this condition is one of the outstanding features of public health
statistics. Having regard to the fact that this reduction has been continuous for
some years it seems safe to regard it as something more than accidental. Equally
it is safe to claim it, as so many do, as one of the rewards of the work that has
been done in regard to sanitation and hygiene, more particulary the hygiene of
infancy and childhood.
INFECTIOUS (COMMUNICABLE) DISEASES.
The number of deaths due to each of the diseases included in this group is
referred to when dealing specifically with the disease under the heading "Prevalence
of and Control over Infectious Diseases." Excluding influenza (which caused
15 deaths), the diseases contributing to the total of 37 deaths were—diphtheria, 2;
scarlet fever, 3; whooping cough, 16; and, as already noted, diarrhoea, 15.
PHTHISIS AND OTHER TUBERCULOUS DISEASES.
The total deaths due to the diseases dealt with under this heading, viz., phthisis
(pulmonary tuberculosis or consumption of the lungs), tuberculous meningitis,
general tuberculosis, tabes mesenterica, and all conditions due to the germ of
consumption, numbered 115, which is lower by 12 than the figure 127 for 1922.
The great bulk of the 115 deaths, viz., 94, was due to phthisis.
Of the total number of deaths registered (1,235), the percentage due to phthisis
was 7.7, as against 6.7 in 1922. The age periods at which the deaths occurred were:
under 1 year, 1 (l.l per cent..); 2—5, 1 (l.l per cent.); 5—15, 3 (3.2 per cent.);
15—25, 12 (12.8 per cent.); 25—45, 45 (47.8 per cent.); 45—65, 26 (27.6 per cent.);
65 and over, 6 (6.4 per cent.).
The subject of phthisis is further discussed in connection with the notification
and prevention of tuberculosis.
The following table gives the figures for each of the years from 1916. It will
be noted that though there have been occasional rises the tendency has all the time
been downwards. The reasons for this will be discussed later.