View report page

10
Again, of this number 280, or over 37 per cent., reached
the age of 70 years or over, the oldest resident dying being
94 years of age.
Table I appended to this section of the report sets out the
causes of death as supplied by the Registrar-General.
This table calls for no special comment. The usual causes
of death among the aged, of course, shew a high percentage.
Diphtheria was the cause of 9 deaths—a rather high figure
under modern conditions and undoubtedly due to the fact that
parents neglect to call in medical aid at the earliest possible
moment. Influenza was the cause of death in 28 cases—a
marked increase over the preceding year.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The total number of deaths among children under one year
of age was 39, equivalent to an Infantile Death Rate per 1,000
live births of 46. This figure is lower than that for the year
1932 and is very satisfactory when compared with that for the
whole country—64. The gradual but sure lowering of the
Infantile Death Rate throughout the country is undoubtedly
due to the Maternity and Child Welfare Services now available
and also the fact that a high percentage of births now take place
in Maternity Hospitals and other Institutions in hygienic and
comfortable conditions.
Of the 39 deaths of infants which occurred, it is notable
that 19 were neo-natal, i.e., occurring during the first four weeks
of life, and further of the total, 22 occurred outside the
district. Six of the deaths were of illegitimate children.

* Year of a severe Influenza epidemic.