16 



is really the healthiest year of the whole, aa the deaths under 5 years of age, 

 are actually 4 less than in 1861. 



While last year had 22 more deaths than the present year, it is seen above 

 that the groups of ages " 5 to 60" only differed by 1864 having one more, 

 while in the ages " 1 to 5" 1863 had 20 more, and in " aU above 60," 1863 had 

 3 more. In the "zymotic class" of diseases only 3 d«aths occurred this month, 

 one, a boy of 6 years old, from scarlatina, a child of nine months from 

 diarrhaea, and a man of 37 from the same. In 1863, this class of diseases gave 

 28 deaths ; in 1862, 27 ; in 1861, 13 , in 1860, 19 ; in 1859, 29 ; in 1858, 28 ; 

 in 1857, 6. The inferior salubrity of the numerically minimum year, 1861, is 

 hereby again clearly demonstrated in comparison with the present year's 

 February. 



In the " constitutional class" of diseases, the deaths were 6, fovir being 

 from consumption, and one of them bom in Tasmania. 



In the 1st order of the 3rd class, "diseases of the brain and nervous 

 system" there were the large number of 17 deaths— 4 from apoplexy ; 4 from 

 paralysis ; 1 from epilepsy ; 6 from convidsions ; 2 brain-disease. January 

 had only 3 deaths in this order of diseases. February 1863 had only 7. The 

 meteorological cause of the fatality in this group, has been previously indicated. 



In the 2nd order, "diseases of the organs of circulation" 4 deaths were 

 recorded, and these diseases are much influenced by the same atmospherie 

 phenomena as the former. 



In the third order "diseases of the organs of respiration" only one death 

 took place — a remarkable event. 



Three deaths from old age were registered, the oldest being 89. 



Only one death from accidental violence occurred. 



There were two inquests held on deaths which happened within the month ; 

 February 1863 had 7. 



In the first week of the month, 16 deaths took place. In the second 11. In 

 the third 9. In the fourth 10. On the last day one. On five days in the 

 month not a single death occurred. The greatest number on any day was 5, 

 on the 1st, when the greatest movement in the pressure of the atmosphere 

 was noted. The greatest number of deaths on any two consecutive days was 6, 

 on the 25th 26th. The greatest number on any four following days was 9, 

 and occurred 1st to 4th, 5th to 8th 14th to 17th; from 24th to 26th was the 

 most fatal period having 8 deaths. 



The registered hirths were 77, being two more than in February, 1863. The 

 total births registered in all Tasmania, in 1863, were 205 four-sixth's less 

 than the average of the previous six years, but the marriages last year 

 exceeded the average, so that a different result may be expected this year. 

 The colony gained in population, numerically, up to the 31st December, 

 789 individuals, but all by children bom. The computed population on 31st 

 December 1863, 1 make to be 93,117, being an increase of 3,140 since the census 

 of 7th April 1861. With a population annually becoming so much younger, 

 on the aggregate, an . increased death rate, instead of the reverse, might 

 reasonably be expected. 



Printed at the "Mercury" Steam Press Office. 



