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31
MEDICAL OFFICER'S REPORT.
TO I'm; HOARD OF WORKS FOR THE ST. SAVIOUR'S
DISTRICT.
Gentlemen,
I beg to present to you a Report of the birth and
death-rate of the District for the year 1890, together with a
statement of matters affecting its sanitary condition.
The number of births registered was 882. Of these, 418
occurred in Christchurch, and 464 in St. Saviour.
During the year there were recorded 571 deaths, 292
occurring in Christchurch, and 279 in St. Saviour.
One hundred and ninety-six deaths occurred in institutions
outside the district, making a total of 767. This is equivalent
to an annual death-rate of 268 per thousand of the population.
After deducting the 31 deaths which occurred in
Christchurch Workhouse, but belonging to other districts, I
find the corrected annual death-rate to be 25.7 per thousand
of the population.
Tins very high death-rate is largely to be attributed to the
epidemic of influenza that prevailed in the early part of the
past year. And even where influenza was not the direct
cause of death it lowered the vital energies to such an extent
that the individual was less able to resist other affections.
And from careful investigation of many cases which came under
my own observation I am convinced that the epidemic was
primarily the cause of a very much larger number of deaths
than those actually attributed to it in the returns.