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48
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The deaths of infanta under the age of one year amount, as
will be seen above, to 23.45 per cent. of the total deaths, and to
20.63 per cent. of the registered births; while the deaths of all
children under five years of age equal 38 52 per cent. of the
total deaths, and 33.91 per cent. of the total births.
On comparing the above figures with those of the previous
year I find there is an appreciable decrease in infantile mortality,
from which we may hope that a somewhat greater
amount of care is being exercised in the rearing of young
children.
OLD AGE MORTALITY.
While the deaths of persons of 65 years of age and upwards
amounted in the year 1898 to but 12 92 per cent. of the total
deaths, in the year now under consideration these deaths have
amounted to 19.18 per cent. of the total deaths, an increase in
old age mortality of nearly 50 per cent. It is to this cause
that the slightly higher general death rate for the year 1899 is
attributable.
The excess of births over deaths is 96, comparing with 164
and 159 during the last two years.