AnnualReport-1938

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Still-births.

22. In 1937 there were 913 still-births reported as compared with 1,075 in 1938. The ratios of still-births per hundred live births were 2.83 and 2.86 for 1937 and 1938 respectively.

5. Infant mortality-rate.

23. The number of infants dying under one year of age per thousand born amounted to 42 for non-Chinese as compared with 46 in 1937. The corresponding figures for Chinese infants were 343 and 376 for 1938 and 1937 respectively. Table VII gives the rates during the past five years.

Year 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 Non-Chinese 50 57 37 46 42 Chinese 347 316 372 376 343

6. Deaths according to age and sex.

24. The system of compilation of death returns was changed in 1938 in order to make it possible to indicate the differential mortality according to age and sex.

Under 24 hours 24 hours to 1 year 1-5 years 5-15 years 15-25 years 25-45 years 45-65 years & over Unknown Males 32 5,922 2,599 1,245 1,920 4,355 3,487 1,600 15 Females 45 6,025 3,237 1,176 1,266 2,574 1,848 1,441 Sex unknown 28 Persons* 77 11,947 5,836 2,421 3,186 6,929 5,330 3,041 51

25. From Table VIII it will be seen that deaths in males out-numbered those in females in the ratio of 130 to 100. In twenty-eight cases it was not possible to ascertain either age or sex of the deceased. As might be expected from the high infant mortality-rate, deaths in infants under one year of age formed a very high proportion (33.8 per centum) of the total deaths, and those under five years constituted over 46 per centum of the total number of deaths at all ages.

7. Seasonal incidence.

26. The monthly total of deaths is tabulated below with the corresponding numbers for 1937 for purposes of comparison. In 1937 the highest number of deaths were recorded in September and resulted in part from the typhoon and in part from a continuation of the cholera epidemic. In 1938, on the other hand, the heaviest mortality fell in March at the height of the smallpox epidemic, the second peak occurring in December when large numbers of refugees crossing the border brought smallpox with them and the increased congestion led to a disquieting outbreak of cerebro-spinal meningitis.

*

Twenty-nine deaths among the Forces of the Crown are not included in this table.