117 



1865 had. At '* 5 to 20," the deaths, 7, were nearly double the average, two 

 more than 1865 had, and above that of any year in the nine years tabled. At 

 ^' 20 to 45," the deaths, 10, were exactly the average number, though 3 more 

 than in December, 1865. At " 45 to 60," the mortality, 6, was below the 

 average, though three times as many as 1865 had. At " 60 and all ages above," 

 the deaths, 13, were largely above the average, and in excess above any year of 

 the nine. 1865 had little more than half as many as the present month. 



In the first class. Zymotic diseases, the deaths, 5, were little more than half 

 the average, and 2 less than 1865 had. Not one of the five deaths indicated a 

 generally impure condition of the atmosphere, but there was no doubt iu 

 several of them, that the diseases causing death were generated by local 

 (Causes. The first, a death from typhoid fever in a young girl, could only be 

 ascribed to defective drainage. The same disease had been treated years 

 before in young boys in the same residence, and one of them ended fatally. The 

 second was death from malignant scarlet fever, in a child. This disease and 

 measles have for sonie time past prevailed extensively and with great fatality 

 in Melbourne, Many children convalescing therefrom have come to Hobart 

 Town to recruit. Some cases of measles existing in Hobart Town have been 

 directly ascribed to the poison imported, though none have ended fatally. 

 In the case of scarlet fever, while the suspicion is strong of an imported origin, 

 there were local defects, in drainage, rendering persons under its influence 

 peculiarly susceptible to miasmatic diseases. Cases of scarlet fever have been 

 long unknown to the medical profession in Hobart Town, and the last deaths 

 recorded therefrom were in July and February, 1865, two isolated cases. la 

 the first six months of 1864, however, 11 deaths were recorded, 5 of them in 

 April. The third zymotic death was from metria or child bed fever in a woman 

 of 24, in one of the rural divisions of the registration district. No doubt local 

 causes for the existence of the disease could be traced in that case. The fourth 

 zymotic death was in a youth of 19, from erisypelas, admitted into hospital 

 from a country district. The fifth death was from dysentery, in a woman of 55, 

 at the Cascade Factory. Though bowel diseases often prevail extensively in 

 this summer month, no other death but the foregoing, was registered from 

 this cause. Temperature and rainfall were both eminently conducive to general 

 atmospheric purity this month, but while the sewerage of the city continues 

 in its present most defective condition, we shall never be safe from pestilential 

 diseases, whenever the meteorological phenomena are adverse to health. 



In the second or Constitutional class of Diseases, the deaths, 9, were largely 

 in excess above the average, only 1862 had as many, and last year had 2 less. 

 Five of these deaths were from consumptionf four of them young people 

 from 16 to 27 years of age,and two of them bom in Tasmania. Three deaths in 

 this class were from cancerous diseases of internal organs. The last death, a 

 girl of 14, was registered as from dropsy and chronic rheumatism. In the 3rd 

 or Local class of Diseases, the 21 deaths wei'e a fraction above the average, 

 but nearly twice as many as 1865 had. In the first ov^qv, Diseases of the Brain 

 and nervous system, there were 10 deaths, being 4 more than 1865 had ; five 

 of them were from apoplexy, aged respectively, ,37, 42, 60, 67, 72. No doubt 

 the very high atmospheric pressure before alluded to, couduced to death froui 



