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The mortality from zymotic diseases was in excess of those
last year, as already mentioned; but the proportion to population
was not excessive, having been 3.80 per 1000 population against
3.60 in 1875, and 3.30 in 1874. There were 2.91 deaths per
1000 population from tubercular diseases, or 15.2 per cent. of
the deaths from all causes; 479 deaths, which are equal to 16.9
of total deaths, or 3.25 per 1000 population, occurred from
inflammatory diseases of the lungs, against 4.4 in 1875; and
332 deaths from convulsions and wasting diseases of infants,
which are equal to 11.8 per cent. of all the deaths, and 2.24
deaths per 1000 population, which is a little above the mean.
The deaths under the heading of zymotic disease include rheumatism,
which I do not think they should, but the number is too small
to materially affect the result. It will be seen that tubercular
affections include phthisis, scrofula, rickets, tabes mesenterica,
and deaths caused by water on. the head in children above 1 year
of age; so that the mortality from these causes per 1000
population afford a fair index of the sanitary and social condition
of our population, and therefore a reduction in the rate is
satisfactory. The extreme cold in 1875, and mild weather in
1876 account for the great differences in the death rates from
pulmonary diseases, other than phthisis, in the two years. This
difference is best shown by the proportion of these deaths to
those from all causes, as in 1875 they were as high as 21.1, and
in 1876 only 16.9 per cent. of the total. Convulsive and
wasting diseases of infants, which include marasmus, atrophy
and debility, want of breast milk, and premature birth, as well
as water on the brain in infants, inflammation of the brain in
infants, convulsions and teething, indicate when in excess either
a poor population or a bad sanitary condition of the place, and
sometimes both. It will be seen that there is an excess in 1876
as compared with 1875, but only to a slight extent, and this
probably arose from deaths having occurred from inflammatory
diseases of the lungs, which would otherwise have been caused
by one of these affections.
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