Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 217

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8. The sheep and swine imported for slaughter are still kept in houses in the Sai-ying-poon district and this must continue pending the construction of the public depôts at Kennedy Town. These temporary places are not licensed.

MORTALITY STATISTICS.

9. The attached tabular statements (B) show:--

(a) The death-rate for 1892 for

1. The British and Foreign community.

2. The Chinese community on land in each Registration District.

3. The Chinese community afloat in each Registration District.

4. The Chinese community on land in the Colony.

5. The Chinese community afloat in the Colony.

6. The total Chinese community in the Colony.

7. The British, Foreign and Chinese community combined-Army and Navy excluded. (b) The number of deaths occurring under each of the seven groups into which it has been deemed expedient-in view of the system of death registration in vogue--to classify in the summary the causes of death.

(c) The total number of deaths occurring among the British and Foreign community in each month of each year--1888 to 1892 both inclusive--under six disease groups. These groups are the same as in (b) only 6 and 7 groups are amalgamated.

(d) The same as (e) but for the Chinese community.

(e) The total number of deaths occurring in the Colony-those in the Army and Navy excluded-in each month for the past six years together with the death-rate for the estimated population.

10. The attached diagrams show :-

(a) The number of deaths which occurred each month under each of the groups referred to

above.

(b) The mean temperature for each month. ·

(c) The rainfall for each month.

(d) The number of deaths registered during each month of the years 1888 to 1892 as also

the mean temperature and rainfall.

11. It will be observed that the number of deaths registered during 1892 is very considerably less than in 1891 and that a decrease appears under all the group headings except "Other Causes" where there is an increase of 88. The principal decrease appears under the headings Fevers (182) and Bowel complaints (192).

12. The decrease in the number of deaths recorded as occurring from fevers is deserving of special attention chiefly because of the widely believed theory that soil disturbance, even when the soil is practically of a purely mineral character is the, or rather one of the, principal factors in the causation of malarial fevers. During the year under review there has been a very great deal of soil disturbance more especially in Kau-lung, yet the deaths recorded from fevers have been less than usual. It is no doubt true that the number of deaths caused by any particular disease is not a thoroughly reliable index to the number of cases of sickness that may have occurred but it is an index and the only one which we at present possess so far as the Chinese community is concerned. It is perfectly clear that some important factor in the causation of malignant malarial fevers has been during 1892 less powerful than usual and it is quite evident that that factor is not that a smaller quantity than usual of soil disturbance has taken place.

13. The death-rates for the year have been calculated from the figures obtained by the Census taken in May, 1891, plus an estimated increase to the population since then. This estimated increase to the population is based on the average annual increase which has been shown to have taken place between the years 1857 and 1891. It is somewhat doubtful if this rate of increase has been maintained during the past year, but in the absence of proof to the contrary it appears to me to be the only estimate of the population which can fairly be given.

14. In considering the death-rate the nature of the population should be remembered i.e. it is not a normal population, but a population in which the male sex in the prime of life largely predominates.