Sessional_Paper_1906 — Page 407

284.

DEATH-RATES.

The total death-rate for the epidemic is 941 per cent., as compared with 96-8 per cent. for 1904.

The following are the percentage death-rates recorded for each epidemic since 1894.

Year,

1894 1896 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905

Death-rate per cent,, 927 89.5 89-0 96.1 95.5 95.2 97.5 88.4 96.8 94.1

Distributed according to nationality and sex the death rates for 1903 are as follows:

268 cases with 254 deaths-941 % (1904 96·8%)

Chinese,.....

181 males

171

י

งา

87 females

83

= 95.4

}

**

29

2 cases

Indian,

Malay,

0 female

2 males

1

91

O female

nil

1 case 1 male

1

17

་་

1 death =50

=30

=100%

11

9-.3% 957%) 100-0°)

%

31

100·0%)

nil

nil

1

nil

= 100

1%

nil

nil

Portuguese,

I case 1 male

=

19

17

=100 %

nil

1

>

??

91

= 100 %

nil

O female

nil

nil

The small number of cases amongst nationalities other than Chinese affords no room for commeut.

For the Chinese it will be noticed that the rates for both sexes are somewhat lower than they were in 1901. The female death-rate does not vary so much as that for males.

In the years 1903, 1904, 1905 the female death-rates have been 957 per cent., 95.7 per cent., and 95.4 per cent. respectively, and for the males 91.9 per cent., 973 per cent., and 9447 per cent., respectively.

TYPES OF THE DISEASE.

Since the beginning of last year all cases of Plague notified to the Medical Officer of Health have been described as either bubonic, septic or pneumonic according to the view which the clinician or the pathologist has seen fit to take of each case.

No doubt such a classification is not strictly logical. There must be overlapping But if this be borne in mind such a classification may be useful especially if several epidemics be compared with each other in this respect.

The following are the figures for 1905 :-

Bubonic.

Septic.

Pneumonic. Total.

Males, Females,

..137

44

4

185

62

24

1

87

Total,....199

68

472

In 1904 the figures were:-

!

Bubonic.

Septic.

Pneumonic.

Total.

Males, Females,

..195

101

13

309

.108

47

8

163.

Total, ....303

148

21

472