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2
Births.
The number of births registered in the district during 1908 was 750, viz.:—
377 males and 373 females. This is a decrease of 102 as compared with the previous
year, is the lowest number recorded since 1898, and is 136 less than the
average for the previous ten years. In 1898 there were 673 births with a birth rate
of 32'95 per 1,000, in 1901 there were 992 births with a rate of 39'26, and in 1903
there were 1,047 births with a rate of 38 93, but since that year there has been a
steady decline in the birth rate as can be seen by referring to columns 3 and 4
in Table I.
The birth rate for 1908 is only 25.87 per 1,000, considerably lower than that for
1907 and 8.43 below the average for the previous ten years.
The number of illegitimate children bora in 1908 was 14, viz.:—7 males and
7 females.
Deaths.
The number of deaths during 1908 was 245, an increase of 30 on the previous
year. This gives a death rate of 8 45 per 1,000. Deducting from these 4 deaths of
non-residents which took place in Public Institutions in the district, the number of
deaths was 241, which gives a nett death rate of 8.31 per 1,000. In the first quarter
of the year the number of deaths was 81, and 59, 47, and 54 in the 2nd, 3rd and
4th quarters respectively.
The death rate for the year 1907 was 7"09 per 1,000, this low rate has not been
maintained but the rate for 1908 is still well below that for any other previous year,
and 3.44 below the average for ten years.
Infantile Mortality.
The number of deaths of children under 1 year of age was 60, and between 1
year and 5 years 35, as compared with 72 and 18 in the previous year. The death
rate for children under 1 year per 1,000 births is 80 as compared with a rate of 84.3
for the previous year, and an average of 118.75 for the previous 10 years. The
decrease in the infantile mortality rate has been steady since 1901 (with the exception
of 1904, when it rose somewhat) and the rate is now lower than in any previous
year on record.
Table V. gives the causes of deaths of children under 1 year, and the respective
ages at which death took place. During the first four weeks of life 19 deaths
occurred, 11 of these being due to premature birth, 5 to marasmus (or debility) and
two to convulsions. Seven deaths were due to bronchitis and 1 to pneumonia as
compared with 9 from each disease the previous year.
The number of deaths of illegitimate infants during 1908 was 4, this is a very
large proportion out of 14 births, and gives a death rate of 285.71 per 1,000
illegitimate births as compared with a rate of 76.04 per 1,000 for legitimate children.
The question of adopting the Notification of Births Act was considered by the
Council during the early part of the year, but it was decided not to adopt it for
the present.