Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 353

350*

Government should, without delay, introduce a Bill for the registration and licensing of all Chinese midwives practising in this Colony, so that some control may be exercised over them, in this respect, and also in respect to the number of deaths from Puerperal Fever, further reference to which will be found on page 9.

The following is a Table of the age periods at which the several deaths occurred:-

Ages unknown. Under 1 month. 1 month and I and under 5. 5 and under 15. 15 and under 45. 45 and upwards,■ _

under 1 year.

14

952

567

408

289

RACIAL DISTRIBUTION OF DEATHS.

1,870

1,300

The number of deaths which occurred among the non-Chinese community during the year was 191; of these, 30 are debited to the Army and 8 to the Navy, leaving 153 deaths to be accounted for among the British and Foreign civil community, which is equal to a death-rate of 21:07 per 1,000; if the naval and military establishments are included, the death-rate stands at 17·6 per 1,000.

Of the 30 deaths in the Army, 22 were British, the remainder being Indians; the average age at ' death of the British soldier was 23-5 years, and the causes of death were as follows:-

Malarial Fever

Drowning.. Meningitis Cholera.....

Dysentery.

Diarrhoea

Enteric Fever

Sunstroke...

Abscess of Brain Heart disease .

Pneumonia

Phthisis

Strangulated Hernia

5

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Total............... 22

----

The average age at death in the Navy was 25'6 years, and the eight deaths were due to the following causes :—

Heart disease

Drowning

Dysentery

Enteric Fever

Myelitis

Meningitis

Phthisis

Total..............

2

1

1

1

1

1

8

The deaths of Europeans employed in the mercantile marine, and in foreign navies, were 22 in number, and the average age at death of these was 321 years, while the causes of death were as

follows:-

Phthisis Enteritis

Enteric Fever

2

Dysentery

2

Peritonitis

1

Cancer

1

Bright's disease

1

Anomia

1

Drowning..

1

Hemorrhage from wounds

Traumatic Meningitis

Meningitis

1

Apoplexy....

1

Asthma.....

Undiagnosed

1

1

Total.............

22