35 



ent ages may be considered normally proportioned, somewhat more tli an hf 

 of the whole deaths are at and above 60 years of age, by the ten years* 

 average, 1851-60. In no other of the Australasian colonies do the deaths in 

 this group of ages form so large a proportion of the total deaths as they do in 

 Tasmania. No comparison can be exact or fair that does not compare tho 

 number of deaths to the number of living in each group of ages, and when 

 this is done the mortality rate of Tasmania is found to bo very much leifJ 

 than that of any of the neighbouiing colonies. 



Classes of Disease 



1. Zymotic 



2. Constitutional 



3. Local 



4. Developmental 

 6. Violent &e. 



117-9 

 6 5-9 



19 8-9 

 4 6-9 

 2 2-9 



45 1-9 



fn'thelst, or Zymotic class of diseases, the deaths were considerably below 

 ■ the nine years' average, but nearly as much more above what last year had. 

 Bowel comjjlaints alone caused the whole of the 8 deaths, and all but one of 

 them was under 20 months old. 



The 2nd, or constitutional class of diseases, caused 6 deaths, being one less 

 than in 1865. Two were cases of cancer, in very old people, one case of 

 hydrocephalus (water in the head), and three were from consumption, two of 

 whom were born in Tasmania. 



The 3rd, or local class of diseases, had considerably more than the average 

 rate of deaths. The 1st order of this class, Diseases of the Brain and Nervous 

 System, had 6 deaths, being one less than in April 1865, The 2nd order. 

 Diseases of the Heart arid Organs of Circulation, had 6 deaths, being 5 more 

 ' than 1865 had. The 3rd order, Diseases of the Lungs and Organs of Respira- 

 tion, had 7 deaths, being one less than in 1865. Only two of the number 

 were children, and most of the others were chronic diseases in old people. The 

 4th order, the Stomach and Organs of Digestion, had 3 deaths, all from long 

 standing disease. Last year had the same in number. The 5th order. Diseases 

 of the Urinary Organs, had one death this year, none last, but another order 

 had one in which there was no deaths this month. 



The 4th, or developmental class of diseases, had 3 deaths, two children 

 and one old man of 72. This class had two more in number in 1865. 



The 5th, class of violent and accidental deaths, had a mortality of 5 ; lasfc 

 year had only one, and the nine years' average is less than half of the pre- 

 - sent month's deaths. One was fracture of the skull, how inflicted unknown. 

 A boy of 7 years old was droioned, and an old man of 80, though taken out 

 ' of the water still living, died from the shock of the immersion. A man of 

 70 died from burns, and a man of 39 from taking a poisonous dose of 

 laudanum when intoxicated. In only the first year of the series of nine, 

 were the violent and accidental deaths nearly so numerous as the present. 



The Inquests held on deaths occurring within the month were 7, while 

 last year had only 2. In the Hospital there were 10 deaths, including 

 two of the inquest cases. Three of them were of cases sent from country 

 districts. The Hospital deaths in April 1865 were nine. At the Male Invalid 

 Asylum 4 deaths took place, aged respectively 74, 75, 76, 77. There was one 

 more in number there last year. 



Of the 45 deaths, 32 were males, 13 females, the latter being an abnormally 

 small proportion. All the deaths but one occurred in the city. The exception 

 was the death from falling into the water at the ferry over to Risdon. 



On eight days of the month, of which five were consecutively the last day* 



