View report page

5
workhouses, etc. (11), we arrive at a total of 85 deaths,
giving a final nett death-rate of 7.9 per 1000, which is
the lowest yet recorded.
1 he recorded death-rates for the preceding 11 years
will be found in Table I. of Vital Statistics appended to
this report, and the causes of, and ages at death in
Table IV.
Inquests were held in 5 cases. Nine deaths were due
to Tuberculous Disease of the Lungs (Phthisis), and 1 was
due to Idiopathic Tetanus (a very rare disease of late
years).
INFANT MORTALITY.
This is a special rate referring to the number of
deaths of infants from birth to 1 year of age. The number
of these was 28, and as there were 303 births recorded,
the Infant Mortality rate works out at 99 per 1000
births. This is higher than that of the previous year
(87.5), and is due to the comparatively large number of
deaths from zymotic diarrhoea during the hot Summer
months. Nearly all occurred in infants under 6 months.
The Summer of 1904 was very wet, and marked by a
very decided fall in the average number of cases of
infantile diarrhoea at this season, thereby demonstrating
the fact that much can be done in the way of prevention
in dry seasons by keeping the roads, paths, yards, sewers,
.and drains well flushed with water at frequent intervals.
ZYMOTIC DEATH-RATE.
This is the rate of deaths from the 7 principal
zymotic diseases per 1000 of population. These
amounted to 11 in number, affording a zymotic deathrate
of 1 per 1000 of population. With but one exception
all these deaths were due to zymotic diarrhoea
in infants under 9 months. The exception was a death
irom Measles in an infant of 8 months.
The rate for the preceding year was 1.4.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
41 cases were notified during the year.