840
This work of inspection of dead bodies could well be done by a Chinese doctor trained in Western medicine, as I have suggested in previous Annual Reports, while there are many other functions, especially in the direction of the intelligent propagation of our sanitary laws among the Chinese, which such an officer could perform with great advantage to the sanitary welfare of the Colony.
AGE DISTRIBUTION OF DEATHS.
The death-rate among the infant population is still most alarmingly high, for no less than 21.2 per cent. of the total deaths occurred in infants under one year of age. The infant death-rate among the Non-Chinese community during the year has been 128 per 1,000 as compared with 139.9 during 1898 and 120 during 1897. Among the Chinese population the rate was 848 per 1,000 while the rate in recent years has been as follows:
1898..
1897......
-་
.630 per 1,000.
1896......
1895......
.593
"9
13
..745 11
53
.......759 11
"J
The infant death-rate among the Chinese during the past year has therefore been higher than fo several years pasta fact which is far from gratifying.
The following is a table of the age-periods at which the several deaths occurred :---
Under
1 month.
1--12 months.
1-5 years.
5-15 years.
15-25 years.
25-45 years.
45-60 years.
60 years and
over.
Ages
unknown.
Totals.
Chinese, Non-Chinese,..
676 10
599
701
489
25
19
10
653 1,489
46
713
87
26
612 16
9 | 5,941
1
240
Totals,
686
624 720 499
699 1,576 739 628
10 6,181
Percentages,.... 11.1 10,0
11.7 8.1 11.3 25.5 11.9 10.2
0.2
The year appears to have been a particularly unhealthy one for children, as there is an increase of almost 14 per cent. upon the previous year, in the proportion of deaths under the age of 5 years.
DEATHS AMONG THE CHINESE.
CHEST DISEASES.
The total number of deaths among the Chinese from respiratory diseases was 1,149 or 19.3 per cent. of the total deaths as compared with 1,221 deaths or 22.6 per cent. during the previous year. This represents a death-rate from these diseases of 4.7 per 1,000 as compared with 5.1 during 1898.
As in former years the death-rate from these causes was far heavier among the boat population than among the land population, being 6.4 per 1,000 among the former and 4.4 per 1,000 among the latter. No less than 61.5 per cent. of these deaths are from Phthisis, which disease is intimately associated with overcrowded and insanitary dwellings.
NERVOUS DISEASES.
The deaths recorded under this heading number 1,021, and no less than 709 of these or 69.4 per cent. occurred in infants under one year of age, the causes of death being Tetanus, Trismus, and allied disorders of a convulsive type. In respect of these diseases, which are induced inter alia by insanitary surroundings, the past year shows some retrograde movement, as the number of deaths from these diseases during the past five years has been as follows :---
1895.. 1896,....
1897.
2
1898.. 1899,..
.1,107
711
655
572
709
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