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SUMMARY OF VITAL STATISTICS, ETC.
The year 1889 was characterised by the lowest death-rate on
record, 13.5 per 1000, being 29 below the decennial averageIt
was further characterised by a high rate of mortality from
diphtheria. This disease, the cause of 111 deaths as against 89
in 1888, and a corrected decennial average of 32, was more prevalent
and fatal than in any previous year. "With this single
exception, the mortality from each of the principal diseases of the
zymotic class was low. In all but one of my thirteen four-weekly reports,
I had to chronicle a death-rate below the average, the deficiency
ranging from 0'8 per 1000 in the 4 weeks November 30th—
December 28th, to 5.9 in the four weeks February 24th—March
23rd. The lowest rate (11.7) was recorded in the four weeks ended
November 30th, the highest (16'0) in the following four weeks
ended December 28th. In the four weeks September 8th—
October 5th, the rate (13.9) was 1.3 above the average. There
was no death from small-pox or typhus fever during the year, and
the total deaths from the principal diseases of the zymotic class
were 269 only, or 114 below the corrected average number: the
rate per 1000 persons living being 1.5, so low a rate having been
recorded in one previous year only (1883). The mean temperature
of the air (48'8°) was 0.2 above the average of 115 years,,
but 0.5 below the average of 48 years.
The death-rate in the first four weeks of the year ended
January 26th, was 15.3 per 1000 of the population, being 4.8
below the decennial average; it was also 6.4 below the rate in the