Segar. — On New Zealand Health Statistics. 



117 



of the former class, however, bears but a comparatively small 

 ratio to that of the latter. 



Table I. represents the results obtained in the manner 

 described in the introduction. 



Table I. — Average Yearly Number of Patients received into the 

 various Lunatic Asylums in the Colony per 10,000 op Popu- 

 lation of each Sex of various Age periods. 



The results given in this table for the first and last of 

 the four periods considered are illustrated graphically in 

 Plate II. 



Comparing generally the figures given in this table for 

 the two sexes, it appears that there is little difference for 

 the sexes for ages up to 55 years, but after that the 

 tendency to insanity is markedly greater in males than in 

 females. 



With respect to the males, it may further be noted that 

 there was actually, during the whole period, a diminution in 

 the number of patients supplied for each 10,000 of population 

 for all ages up to 65 ; only for ages 65 and over is there an 

 increase, and this is from 157 to 19-5. Further, during the 

 years 1879-83 there were 1,207 male patients of known age 

 received into the various asylums, and during the years 

 1894-98 the number was 1,508 ; but, if the populations of the 

 various age-periods had supplied patients in the latter period 

 in the same proportion to their numbers as in the former, the 

 number of admissions from 1894 to 1898 would have been as 

 many as 1,771. Thus the statistics, if they fairly correctly 

 represent the amount of insanity, indicate an undoubted sub- 

 stantial diminution in the chance of insanity for the average 

 male. 



In the case of females there was, during the period con- 

 sidered, a diminution in the number of fresh cases of insanity 

 relative to the population for all ages up to 45 ; in the three 



