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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 67. This Table
also shows the distribution of deaths according to causes 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.
DIARRHCEAL DISEASES.
The total number of deaths registered as due to diarrhoea and enteritis
(inflammation of the bowels), was 16, equal to 0.14 per 1,000 of the population.
As a general rule, the majority of deaths from this cause occur among infants,
and in 1926, as a matter of fact, all those who died, with the exception of 1, were
less than 1 year of age.
In 1925 the deaths from diarrhoeal diseases numbered 25, all the victims being
under one year of age with the exception of 3. In 1926, therefore, there was a
decrease in the total, 15 being under 1 year of age.
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 diseases under the heading " Prevalence
of and Control over Infectious Diseases." Excluding influenza (which
caused 14 deaths), the diseases contributing to the total of 68 deaths were—
diphtheria, 9; scarlet fever, 1 ; whooping cough, 11; measles, 30 ; erysipelas 1 ;
and, as already noted, diarrhoea, 16.
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 109, which is higher by 16 than the figure 93 for
1925.
The great bulk of the 109 deaths, viz., 94, was due to phthisis.
Of the total number of deaths registered (1,356), the percentage due to
phthisis was 6.9, as against 6.3 in 1925. The age periods at which the deaths
occurred were: 5 15, 2 (2.1 per cent.); 15—25, 10 (10.6 per cent.); 25—45, 29
(30.9 per cent.); 45—65, 40 (42.6 per cent.); 65 and over, 13 (13.8 per cent.).
The subject of phthisis is further discussed in connection with the notification
and prevention of tuberculosis.
The following table gives the mortality figures for each of the years from 1919.
It will be noted that though there have been occasional rises the tendency has all
the time been downwards. The reason for this will be discussed later.