107 



suddenly from congestion of the heart and lungs, arising from undeveloped 

 chicken-pox. The average for November is above four times as many, and no 

 one month of the seven had less than three times more than that of tlie present 

 month. In this class of diseases November has the smallest average of any 

 of the twelve months in a year, though May takes precedence in having the 

 smallest averase— 38 4-7 — from all causes. October 18G1 had likewise only 

 one death in this class, but July of 18G4, had not even one. These are the 

 only months in the last seven years that can compare favorably with the 

 present month on this score. In the Constitutional Class the deaths were 

 more than double the average. Of the 11 deaths, the youngest was from Hydro- 

 cephalus Aged Qh years, the next at 15^ years old from Scrofula, 6 were from 

 Consumption, tlfe youngest aged 22, being the only one born in Tasmania, 

 3 were from Cancerous Afections, aged 48, 49, 53. The Local Class had a 

 mortality on tlie whole, somewhat below the average, but two of its eight 

 orrft'rs had ISoutof the 20 deaths, being a very unusually large share of the 

 whole. Diseases of the Onjans of Circulation, had 7 from Disease of the 

 Heart, 2 iroxa Aneurism of the Aorta, audi from Phlebitis (inflammation of 

 the veins. ) Many of these were sudden deaths. Diseases of the Oryans of 

 Respiration had 5 deaths ; four of the five acute affections, and from 

 four mouths to 20 years old ; the other was from Asthma, in a man aged 60. 

 All but one of the remainder of the deaths iu this class, were chronic affections 

 and with the foregoing, succumbed to the rapid atmospheric variations. 

 The class of Developmental diseases, is so much above the average owing to 

 the number of deaths from old age before alluded to. Of the two infants, 

 one only survived its birth, a quarter of an hour, and the other died at five 

 months old, from Congenital cZwea.% transmitted by its mother. The Violent 

 and Accidental Class of diseases had a little more than the average. A woman 

 of 37 died in Hospital from hums inflicted in a country district, beyond 

 the Hobarton Registry. A child under two years old died from a scald. The 

 other three deaths in "this class were from Traumatic-Tetanus (Lockjaw from 

 injuries) aged respectively 10|, 31, 33 years. All occurred between the 23rd and 

 28th inclusive, being the fourth and most fatal week of the month. Deaths 

 from Traumatic-Tetanus occurred in June and March (one each) also of this 

 year. In 1863 there were no deaths from this disease, but there was one from 

 Idiopathic-tetanus in November, In 1862 there were one from each variety, in 

 Januarv and February respectively. There were not any from either cause in 

 1861,1860,1859. In February 1858 there was one. In 1857 there were 3, 

 June, August, and N ovember respectively one each. It is, therefore, of deep 

 interest to ascertain whether the unusually large mortality from this cause in 

 the present month, was associated with any pecidiar atmospheric conditions 

 prevailing at the time. The wound in the thigh from a small stone discharged 

 from a pistol, in the boy, was not in itself a dangerous wound. The two men 

 had previously had a simple operation performed upon them in hospital 

 (hoemorrhoids excised by ligature.) From the elaborate examination of all the 

 meteorological phenomena of the period, I can answer the enquiry proposed 

 affirmatively, but the details are too prolix to publish in this report. 



The inquests during the month were 5, including one that died in the hospital, 

 but received from a rural district. In 1863 the inquests were only 3. In 

 hospital the deaths were 14, including the case on which an inquest was held. 

 Four of these individuals were received from districts, beyond the boundaries of 

 the Hobart Town Registration District. In November, 1863, the hospital deaths 

 were only 8. At the Male Invalid Asylum 5 deaths took place. Four of them 

 have been alluded to before, the fifth, and youngest, was 68 years old. In 

 1863 only 2 deaths took place in that establishment. In the Queen's Asylum 

 for Destitute Children, two boys aged respectively 7^, and 6^ years, died. The 

 first died from heart-disease. He had congenital malformation of the chest. 

 The other died in convulsions, how induced is unknown. The day preceding 

 his death, the solar thermometer was at its maximum of intensity for the month 

 — 125. Whether he had been exposed to its influence on that day, I do not know, 

 but on the 2nd, the sun was equally powerful, and on many other days its 

 rays were sufficiently intense to produce insolation (sun-stroke) to those 

 exposed to it with bare heads or with such ill-adapted coverings as the boys 

 there have to wear. The deaths in this Institution during 1864, now nearly 

 expired, have been altogether 3, and the daily average strength of the children, 

 aged from 3 to 14 years, has been above 500. The rate of mortality therefore 

 was little more (6 per 1,000 instead of 5) than that existing amongst the country 

 children in Tasmania of corresponding ages, being a rate few countries in the 

 world have exhibited. But in 1863, there were only two deaths in the Queen's 

 Asylum and none at all in 1862— so that in the last three years there have only 

 been five deaths altogether — a rate of mortality considerably less than that of 

 the country districts. From an average of the 19 years previous to this charity 



