Sessional_Paper_1900 — Page 344

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of 649, and the addition of these figures to the registered Chinese births gives a total of 1,501 births for the year. This is equal to a birth-rate of 6.2 per 1,000 among the Chinese population only, while the general birth-rate thus becomes 6 8 per 1,000.

The proportion of male births to female births among the Chinese population was as 111 to 100, as compared with 117 to 100 during the previous year.

DEATHS.

The total number of deaths registered during the year was 6,181, as compared with 5,674 during 1898 and 4,688 during 1897. The death-rate for 1899 was therefore 23.8 per 1,000 as compared with 22.3 per 1,000 during the preceding year, and an average of 23.6 per 1,000 during the previous five years. These deaths include no less than 1,434 from Bubonic Fever (Plague).

The following table gives the death-rates during the past twenty years, inclusive and ex of deaths from Bubonic Plague, and exclusive also of the Military and Navy populations and deat until the last five years these latter populations were not ascertained :-

1880,

28.717

1881,

24.07.

1882,

..26.11

1883,

.30.04

1884,

.26.91

1885,

.32.36

1886,

..31.79

1887,

..28.59

Average 26.74

1888,

.31.72

1889,

...23.64

1890,

..23.19

1891,

..23.80

1892,

..20 70

1893,

...22.70

J

Including Plague.

Excluding Plague.

1894,

.30.37

19.85

1895,

.21.89

21.74

1896,

,24,25

19.79

1897,

..19.13

19.05

1898, 1899,

...22.71

17.98

24.33.

18.65

All the above death-rates exclude the Military and Naval populations and deaths.

The total number of deaths among the Chinese was 5,941 which is equal to a death-rate of 24.4 per 1,000.

The deaths registered among the Non-Chinese community numbered 240 of which 200 were from the Civil population (including 21 deaths from Bubonic Fever), 35 from the Army and 5 from the Navy.

The nationalities of these deaths was as follows :-British and American 88, German 8, French 7, Norwegian 4, Austrian 1, Italian 1; Portuguese 53; Indian 53; Japanese 16; Malays and Filipinos 9. The total death-rate among the white races was therefore 12.4 per 1,000 as compared with 16.2 per 1,000 in 1898, and among the coloured races it was 28.3 per 1,000 as compared with 33.6 per 1,000 in the previous year.

The following table gives the causes of the 35 deaths occurring in the Army :—

Soldiers.

Bubonic Fever (Plague),

Remittent Fever,

Intermittent Fever,

Heat Apoplexy,

Meningitis,

Fracture of Skull,

Gunshot wounds,

Drowning,

Alcoholism,

Rupture of Heart (over-strain),

Phthisis,

Pneumonia,

Enteritis,

Wives and Children.

1

Whooping Cough,

.2

.5

Inanition,.

4

1.

Premature Birth,

3

Convulsions,

4

1

Congenital Malformation of Heart,

.1

.3

Congenital Syphilis,

1

1

1

1

.1

The average age at death of these British soldiers was 25 years.